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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · deal · fan · mug · stand · degree · net · temple

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. stand — to bear
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. net — for catching
  11. deal — to handle
  12. degree — an amount
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. mug — a face
  15. net — after costs
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wound — an injury
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. degree — temperature
  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