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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cell — in biology
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cell — a phone
  5. last — final
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bank — of a river
  9. last — to go on
  10. present — there
  11. degree — temperature
  12. branch — a division
  13. bank — for money
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. last — finally
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bank — for money
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. present — a gift
  24. degree — from a university

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