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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. firm — decided
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mug — a face
  9. degree — an amount
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — an aim
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. content — the amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. content — happy
  20. mug — a cup
  21. object — to protest
  22. firm — steady
  23. object — a thing
  24. content — videos and posts

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