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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. season — in sport
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mate — to breed
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. tear — from crying
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — a friend
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. season — of the year
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mate — a partner

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