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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. lean — thin
  4. bark — to shout
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — humankind
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bore — to tire
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bank — for money
  24. race — a contest

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