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

Word bank: degree · suit · row · bank · snap · rule

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bank — for money
  7. rule — a law
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bank — for money
  10. snap — to click
  11. row — a line
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rule — government
  14. degree — from a university
  15. row — to paddle
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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