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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.

Words on the sheet
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: mug · temple · net · club · wound · degree · craft · wave

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. craft — boats
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. degree — temperature
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mug — to rob
  9. club — for dancing
  10. degree — an amount
  11. net — in sport
  12. craft — a skill
  13. net — for catching
  14. degree — from a university
  15. net — after costs
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. club — a group
  22. mug — a face
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. club — for golf

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