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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. last — to go on
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bank — of a river
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — a trace
  10. last — final
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. board — to get on
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mark — a grade
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. degree — from a university
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. last — finally
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bank — for money
  23. board — a committee
  24. hide — animal skin

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