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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lean — thin
  4. degree — temperature
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cap — of ice
  11. degree — from a university
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cap — a hat
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lean — to bend
  16. firm — steady
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. deal — to handle
  19. firm — a company
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. firm — decided

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