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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lean — to bend
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tear — from crying
  5. scale — in music
  6. lean — thin
  7. board — a committee
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. scale — size or range
  16. tear — to rip
  17. firm — steady
  18. board — to get on
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. tear — from crying
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. firm — a company
  24. degree — temperature

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