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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 124 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. degree — from a university
  3. object — to protest
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. can — a tin
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bank — of a river
  13. degree — an amount
  14. object — a thing
  15. pound — a weight
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. object — an aim
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bank — for money
  24. lash — an eyelash

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