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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rest — what's left
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spring — of water
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — a break
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bank — of a river
  14. shower — rain
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to bend
  19. shower — to wash
  20. degree — an amount
  21. deal — to handle
  22. root — the cause
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. spring — the season

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