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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · safe · dip · branch · temple · wound · degree · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rock — music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. branch — a division
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. degree — an amount
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rock — a stone
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wound — an injury
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com