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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. last — finally
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rock — a stone
  11. last — final
  12. snap — to click
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rock — music
  15. tear — to rip
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wound — an injury
  18. last — to go on
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wound — an injury

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