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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 120 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: lean · rush · degree · tube · trunk · rock · safe · mark

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rock — a stone
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. tube — a container
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. tube — the underground
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lean — thin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. degree — an amount

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