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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bass — low music
  10. degree — temperature
  11. swing — music
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bass — the fish
  15. swing — in golf
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. file — a line of people
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. file — a document
  20. degree — an amount
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bank — for money

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