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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bank — for money
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fall — the season
  7. bank — for money
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. degree — from a university
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. degree — temperature
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. drill — army training
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fall — to drop
  24. patient — a sick person

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