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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · lie · spring · degree · bank · rush · pit · pass

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bank — for money
  4. capital — money
  5. lie — to recline
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. degree — from a university
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bank — for money
  18. degree — temperature
  19. pit — in a race
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pass — a permit
  24. capital — a city

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