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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bear — the animal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. branch — a division
  15. key — the most important part
  16. shower — rain
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. key — in music
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. stand — to bear

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