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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: rest · stand · key · degree · tear · prune · bank · foot

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. degree — from a university
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rest — a break
  6. key — for a lock
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bank — of a river
  10. tear — to rip
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rest — what's left
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stand — to bear
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rest — what's left
  18. prune — to trim
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bank — for money
  21. degree — an amount
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bank — for money
  24. key — in music

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