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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 120 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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rash — hasty
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — a series
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ball — a dance
  21. drill — the tool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. drill — army training

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