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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. bank — of a river
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bank — for money
  9. bound — certain
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bound — obliged
  18. spring — the season
  19. wake — a trail
  20. degree — from a university
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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