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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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pass — a permit
  6. degree — from a university
  7. swing — to play on
  8. degree — temperature
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. degree — an amount
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. shower — rain
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. swing — music

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