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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mug — a face
  3. bank — of a river
  4. suit — clothes
  5. file — a tool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mug — a cup
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rule — government
  11. wind — moving air
  12. suit — in cards
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wind — moving air
  15. file — a line of people
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rule — a law
  18. suit — to fit
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bank — for money
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. file — a document
  24. rule — to rule out

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