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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bank — for money
  3. fall — the season
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bank — of a river
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. roll — a cake
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fall — to drop
  15. shower — rain
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bank — for money
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. degree — from a university
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fall — to drop
  22. roll — a list
  23. shower — to wash
  24. arm — a part of something

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