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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bank — for money
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. craft — a skill
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. roll — a list
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bank — of a river
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. craft — boats
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. degree — temperature

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