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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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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. charge — in control
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. shower — rain
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wind — moving air
  16. charge — a price
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lean — thin
  20. rush — hurry
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rush — to hurry

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