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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. rest — a break
  14. spell — letters
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. game — a match
  21. cell — in biology
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. spell — magic
  24. game — a kind of play

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