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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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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. land — a country
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. object — a thing
  5. degree — from a university
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bank — of a river
  8. degree — temperature
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. degree — an amount
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bank — for money
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bank — for money
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. dip — to sink
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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