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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 116 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. face — part of the head
  4. degree — from a university
  5. march — music
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. face — to confront
  13. degree — an amount
  14. face — to point toward
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. march — the month
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bank — for money
  24. dip — to sink

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