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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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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: can · stick · rock · fan · jam · lean · rash · degree

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. lean — thin
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. can — to be able to
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rock — music
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rash — a series
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. degree — an amount

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