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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: temple · hide · bear · bank · mark · straw · spring · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. degree — from a university
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bank — for money
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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