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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rush — hurry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. net — in sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. net — for catching
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. degree — from a university
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bulb — for light
  21. net — after costs
  22. degree — an amount
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bulb — for light

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