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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. branch — a division
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ground — the earth
  9. degree — an amount
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. spring — a coil
  13. ground — crushed
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bass — low music
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spring — the season
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bass — the fish
  23. spring — of water
  24. ground — a position

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