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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bank — for money
  4. chest — of your body
  5. season — in sport
  6. kick — in football
  7. suit — in cards
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bank — of a river
  11. suit — to fit
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mark — a grade
  14. season — of the year
  15. mark — a trace
  16. degree — an amount
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. chest — a box
  19. suit — clothes
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bank — for money

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