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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: mug · degree · temple · present · key · wave · bound · can

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. present — there
  3. bound — tied together
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mug — a face
  6. key — in music
  7. can — a tin
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. degree — an amount
  10. can — a tin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — obliged
  13. present — a gift
  14. can — to be able to
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bound — certain
  18. present — the time now
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mug — a cup
  23. key — for a lock
  24. degree — temperature

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