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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wind — moving air
  3. degree — an amount
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bank — of a river
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — a tool
  15. shower — rain
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — for money
  18. degree — temperature
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. degree — from a university
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mark — a trace

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