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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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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: bulb · lie · toast · chip · hand · degree · bank · chest

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bank — of a river
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. lie — to recline
  5. chip — for betting
  6. degree — an amount
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. toast — bread
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bank — for money
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bank — for money
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — a box
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. chip — in a computer

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