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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. season — of the year
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. season — in sport
  6. lean — to bend
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mate — a partner
  11. row — a line
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. degree — from a university
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mate — to breed
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lean — thin
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. toast — bread
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. degree — temperature

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