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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. fine — all right
  3. degree — an amount
  4. drill — a practice
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. drill — the tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bank — of a river
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lie — to recline
  14. board — to get on
  15. drill — army training
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fine — high quality
  18. board — a committee
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bank — for money
  21. bear — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. degree — from a university

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