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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bank — for money
  3. roll — a list
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lean — thin
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lean — to bend
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. degree — from a university
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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