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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mark — a grade
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. shower — rain
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mark — a trace
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. degree — temperature
  18. row — to paddle
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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