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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fall — to drop
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. fall — the season
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bank — of a river
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bank — for money
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bank — for money
  18. bowl — to roll

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