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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. field — a subject
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rash — a series
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. field — for sport
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bank — for money
  15. cell — a phone
  16. degree — from a university
  17. stand — to bear
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rash — hasty
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. field — farmland
  23. degree — temperature
  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