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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · degree · hide · cabinet · bank · cold

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bank — for money
  6. cold — not warm
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pit — in a race
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bank — for money
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pit — a hole

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