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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wind — moving air
  9. degree — an amount
  10. current — of water
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. current — electric
  13. lie — to recline
  14. degree — temperature
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bank — for money
  17. mug — a face
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bank — of a river
  20. branch — a division
  21. degree — from a university
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. current — happening now

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