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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bank — for money
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kick — in football
  5. hand — help
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fall — the season
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bank — for money

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