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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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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: cabinet · lean · nail · race · degree · bank · leaves · pop

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pop — music
  4. race — a contest
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. race — humankind
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. race — the arms race
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lean — to bend
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lean — thin
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bank — for money
  18. degree — temperature
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bank — for money
  23. pop — soda
  24. nail — for a hammer

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