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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bank — for money
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rush — hurry
  12. degree — an amount
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. game — wild animals
  19. board — to get on
  20. degree — temperature
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. board — a committee
  23. snap — to click
  24. game — a match

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