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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. game — a match
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rest — a break
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — thin
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bank — for money
  12. degree — an amount
  13. object — a thing
  14. degree — from a university
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — a container
  18. object — to protest
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bank — of a river
  23. object — an aim
  24. tube — the underground

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