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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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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bank — for money
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chest — of your body
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — a trace
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. chest — of your body
  14. degree — temperature
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chest — a box
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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