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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rash — hasty
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rash — a series
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. degree — from a university
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tear — from crying
  15. degree — temperature
  16. tear — from crying
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a committee
  19. content — the amount
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. content — happy
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. temple — a place of worship

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