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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 116 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: wind · sharp · mark · spell · degree · stick · rule · fork

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. degree — an amount
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. degree — temperature
  8. spell — magic
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. sharp — clever
  12. spell — letters
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. degree — from a university
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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