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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: toast · tear · degree · face · fork · tube · suit · mark

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. face — part of the head
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. degree — from a university
  12. fork — in a road
  13. face — to point toward
  14. tear — to rip
  15. degree — temperature
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. toast — bread
  23. degree — an amount
  24. face — to confront

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