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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: rush · mine · bark · fall · toast · lean · safe · degree

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — bread
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. mine — for digging
  6. degree — from a university
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. degree — temperature
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rush — hurry
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bark — to shout

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