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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.

Make a worksheet

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: season · cell · present · last · temple · degree · board · fan

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. last — to go on
  4. board — to get on
  5. cell — in biology
  6. present — the time now
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. board — a committee
  9. season — of the year
  10. present — a gift
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. last — final
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. degree — an amount
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. season — in sport
  21. present — there
  22. cell — a phone
  23. last — finally
  24. fan — a supporter

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