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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 116 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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. firm — a company
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. spell — letters
  6. firm — steady
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bank — for money
  9. firm — decided
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bank — for money
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — thin
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spell — a short time
  17. degree — temperature
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mark — a trace
  23. spell — magic
  24. mark — a grade

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