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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 120 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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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: temple · bound · last · nail · content · degree · fan · present

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — tied together
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bound — obliged
  8. degree — an amount
  9. present — there
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. present — the time now
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bound — certain
  15. content — the amount
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. degree — temperature
  18. present — a gift
  19. last — finally
  20. content — happy
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. last — to go on

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