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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bear — the animal
  3. degree — temperature
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fine — high quality
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. tube — a container
  13. degree — an amount
  14. fine — all right
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. degree — from a university
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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