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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bank — of a river
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bass — the fish
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. degree — temperature
  14. chest — a box
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bass — low music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mug — a cup
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mug — a face

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