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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: race · fine · lean · degree · branch · sharp · fork · lash

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fine — all right
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lean — to bend
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. branch — a division
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. degree — an amount
  12. race — a contest
  13. degree — from a university
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. race — humankind
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lean — thin

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