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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 116 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bank — for money
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. scale — size or range
  23. degree — temperature
  24. scale — in music

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