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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. object — a thing
  3. swing — to play on
  4. object — an aim
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bank — for money
  7. swing — music
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. object — to protest
  11. degree — from a university
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rest — what's left
  14. degree — an amount
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rest — a break
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cell — a phone
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cell — in a prison

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