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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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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 · degree · band · bear · face · pit · bore · rest

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rest — what's left
  4. band — a music group
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a ring
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bank — of a river
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bank — for money
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bore — to tire
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bore — to drill
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bank — for money
  21. face — to confront
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rest — a break
  24. degree — temperature

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