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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.

Make a worksheet

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: roll · degree · bass · chest · fork · lean · fine · wake

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. roll — a cake
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. lean — thin
  5. chest — a box
  6. degree — temperature
  7. roll — a list
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fine — all right
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wake — a trail
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bass — low music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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