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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bank — for money
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. file — a document
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a tool
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. hand — in cards
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. hand — help
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pass — a permit
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rock — music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bank — of a river
  24. degree — temperature

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