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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. roll — a list
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. root — of a plant
  8. degree — temperature
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stand — to bear
  12. snap — to click
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. degree — from a university
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — the cause
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bowl — to roll

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