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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. degree — from a university
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. degree — temperature
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bank — for money
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fine — all right
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. season — of the year
  11. prune — to trim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. prune — to trim
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bank — for money
  20. season — in sport
  21. fine — high quality
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fine — a penalty

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