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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mug — a face
  6. bank — for money
  7. rush — hurry
  8. degree — from a university
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. plane — a tool
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bat — the animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bank — for money
  20. stand — to bear
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mug — to rob
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mouse — the animal

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