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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kick — in football
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bank — for money
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stand — to bear
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bark — to shout
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bank — of a river

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