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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: degree · bank · drill · hand · cabinet · mug · bear · rush

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mug — a cup
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bear — the animal
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mug — a face
  9. degree — an amount
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. degree — temperature
  14. drill — army training
  15. hand — help
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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