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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. net — after costs
  5. charge — a price
  6. net — for catching
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. charge — in control
  9. present — there
  10. degree — an amount
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. present — the time now
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. craft — boats
  17. net — in sport
  18. present — a gift
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. degree — temperature
  24. craft — a handicraft

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