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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. roll — a cake
  5. race — a contest
  6. staff — employees
  7. rule — a law
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. roll — a list
  11. mark — a grade
  12. staff — employees
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. mark — a trace
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. race — humankind
  17. staff — a stick
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rock — music
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rule — government

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