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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. degree — from a university
  5. snap — to click
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. can — to be able to
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. degree — an amount
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pitcher — a jug

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