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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: chip · saw · spell · mug · degree · bank · lean · rush

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — a face
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rush — hurry
  6. spell — magic
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bank — for money
  10. degree — an amount
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lean — thin
  14. mug — a cup
  15. spell — a short time
  16. degree — temperature
  17. spell — letters
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. rush — to hurry

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