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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.

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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: spell · temple · wake · saw · pound · fork · degree · charge

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wake — a trail
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. saw — the tool
  5. charge — a price
  6. pound — a weight
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. spell — magic
  9. degree — from a university
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. degree — temperature
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. charge — electricity
  17. degree — an amount
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. charge — in control
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fork — a garden tool

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