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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. degree — from a university
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bound — certain
  7. wound — an injury
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bound — tied together
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bank — for money
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wound — an injury

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