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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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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: present · firm · cabinet · temple · bear · degree · rush · mate

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bear — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. present — the time now
  12. rush — hurry
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mate — to breed
  15. firm — steady
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — there
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. present — a gift

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