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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mark — a grade
  7. club — a group
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. degree — an amount
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. club — for golf
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. kick — in football
  17. club — for dancing
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. branch — a division
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lash — to lash out

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