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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · rush · straw · present · game · tube · degree · stick

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rush — hurry
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. present — there
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. tube — a container
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. spell — a short time
  15. present — the time now
  16. game — wild animals
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. spell — magic
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. spell — letters
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. game — a match
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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