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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fork — in a road
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bound — tied together
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bound — obliged
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. march — the month
  18. lean — thin
  19. march — music
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bound — certain
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. march — the month

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