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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: fall · degree · toast · nail · lean · mouse · saw · bear

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. fall — to drop
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. degree — an amount
  13. toast — bread
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fall — the season
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. degree — from a university
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to rest against

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