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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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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: tear · mark · straw · degree · bark · fork · stick · bay

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fork — in a road

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