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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: temple · suit · stem · wound · present · can · degree · rock

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. degree — from a university
  3. can — a tin
  4. degree — temperature
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. degree — an amount
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. can — a tin
  12. stem — to come from
  13. present — the time now
  14. suit — clothes
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. present — there
  19. rock — music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rock — a stone
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rock — to move gently

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