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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bank — for money
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bank — of a river
  6. spring — a coil
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bark — to shout
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bank — for money
  13. vault — a safe
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. hand — help
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bore — to drill
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. degree — an amount

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