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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. degree — temperature
  3. key — for a lock
  4. charge — electricity
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — for catching
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wound — an injury
  9. net — in sport
  10. charge — a price
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. key — in music
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bore — to tire
  17. key — the most important part
  18. net — after costs
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. degree — from a university
  24. charge — in control

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