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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. race — a contest
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. degree — from a university
  5. race — the arms race
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. degree — temperature
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. race — humankind
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rest — what's left
  13. craft — a skill
  14. charge — electricity
  15. rest — what's left
  16. charge — in control
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rest — a break
  20. charge — a price
  21. craft — boats
  22. snap — to click
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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