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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bank — for money
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. lean — thin
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. band — a ring
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bank — for money
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bank — of a river
  21. degree — an amount
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. degree — from a university
  24. band — a music group

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