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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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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 · cabinet · lash · ruler · fork · saw · degree · spring

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. spring — the season
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fork — in a road
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. spring — a coil
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spring — of water
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. saw — the tool

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