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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 120 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: fork · tear · leaves · fan · degree · key · safe · land

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. degree — an amount
  4. key — in music
  5. fork — in a road
  6. land — a country
  7. degree — temperature
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. key — for a lock
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. tear — from crying
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. degree — from a university
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. key — the most important part
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tear — from crying
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. leaves — of a tree

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