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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pit — in a race
  4. track — a path
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. swing — to play on
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. degree — from a university
  9. track — a song
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. swing — music
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. swing — in golf
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stem — to come from
  22. degree — an amount
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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