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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cue — for pool
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. degree — an amount
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cue — a hint
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cue — a signal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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