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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.

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 · file · nail · wound · spell · chip · pass · degree

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — to eat
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. degree — from a university
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. file — a document
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. degree — temperature
  22. file — a tool
  23. degree — an amount
  24. temple — side of the head

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