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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 120 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: bear · degree · charge · shower · bank · bound · suit · ruler

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bound — tied together
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. charge — in control
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. charge — a price
  16. bank — for money
  17. degree — an amount
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — certain

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