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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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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. track — a path
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. band — a music group
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rest — what's left
  12. track — a song
  13. bound — certain
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bound — tied together
  20. band — a ring
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. degree — an amount
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rest — a break

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