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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bank — of a river
  4. roll — a list
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rush — hurry
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mate — a friend
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mate — to breed
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mate — a partner
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. roll — on a roll

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