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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. last — finally
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — the animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. face — to confront
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. last — to go on
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. degree — from a university
  20. last — final
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. charge — electricity
  24. face — to point toward

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