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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: bank · saw · stick · trunk · spring · firm · degree · roll

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. firm — decided
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a list
  6. spring — the season
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bank — for money
  10. firm — steady
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — a company
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — of water
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bank — of a river
  24. trunk — of a tree

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