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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bank — of a river
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bank — for money
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. lean — thin
  10. root — the cause
  11. lean — to bend
  12. shower — rain
  13. roll — a list
  14. bank — for money
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. root — of a word
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. root — of a plant
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. degree — an amount
  22. roll — a cake
  23. degree — temperature
  24. stand — to bear

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