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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lean — thin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tear — to rip
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rock — music
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fall — the season
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rock — a stone
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rock — to move gently

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