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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mug — a face
  4. drill — army training
  5. rash — a series
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bank — of a river
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bank — for money
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mug — a cup
  15. degree — temperature
  16. drill — a practice
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bank — for money
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. drill — the tool
  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