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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rock — music
  3. degree — from a university
  4. spring — of water
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. last — finally
  8. last — final
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — obliged
  12. degree — an amount
  13. spring — the season
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rock — a stone
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bound — tied together
  22. last — to go on
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. degree — temperature

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