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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rule — a law
  4. rash — hasty
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rule — government
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rash — a series
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. stand — on your feet

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