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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — a stone
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rock — music
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fork — in a road
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. degree — an amount
  19. ball — a dance
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hand — help
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — temperature

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