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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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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: degree · fork · fan · shower · temple · snap · safe · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. shower — rain
  4. fork — in a road
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. present — a gift
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. degree — an amount
  14. present — the time now
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to click
  19. shower — to wash
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. degree — from a university

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