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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: arm · degree · fall · fork · clip · saw · bowl · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. clip — to cut
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. clip — a video
  11. degree — temperature
  12. saw — the tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fall — the season
  18. degree — from a university
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fork — to eat with

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