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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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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: rash · object · degree · bank · roll · cell · content · lie

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rash — a series
  4. degree — from a university
  5. bank — for money
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bank — of a river
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. degree — an amount
  13. content — the amount
  14. object — to protest
  15. roll — a list
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. content — happy
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bank — for money
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lie — an untruth

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