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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. degree — an amount
  7. current — electric
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cue — for pool
  10. current — happening now
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. club — for golf
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. degree — temperature
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a signal
  20. club — a group
  21. cue — a hint
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. current — of water
  24. fall — the season

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