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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 covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bank — of a river
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rock — a stone
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rock — music
  9. degree — an amount
  10. hand — in cards
  11. ground — a position
  12. rule — a law
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ground — crushed
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — government
  20. hand — help
  21. bank — for money
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. snap — to click
  24. degree — from a university

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