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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — to sink
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. degree — temperature
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chest — a box
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. chest — of your body
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bank — of a river
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bank — for money
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — the tool

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