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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. can — to be able to
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hand — help
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. root — the cause
  8. can — a tin
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — wild animals
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. degree — temperature
  18. lie — to recline
  19. root — of a word
  20. can — a tin
  21. degree — an amount
  22. root — of a plant
  23. degree — from a university
  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