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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. tube — a container
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bank — of a river
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lie — to recline
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bank — for money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ground — a position
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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