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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rest — a break
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. degree — an amount
  7. present — a gift
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rest — what's left
  10. present — the time now
  11. rest — what's left
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. degree — temperature
  17. dip — to sink
  18. staff — employees
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. staff — employees
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bank — for money

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