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

Word bank: nail · rest · degree · bulb · mark · fork · cell · safe

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rest — a break
  6. mark — a trace
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rest — what's left
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rest — what's left
  24. degree — from a university

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