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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 124 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mark — a trace
  3. prune — to trim
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. degree — temperature
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bank — for money
  11. degree — from a university
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bank — of a river
  14. content — happy
  15. vault — a safe
  16. prune — to trim
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mark — a grade
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. degree — an amount
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. content — the 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