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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. object — an aim
  6. bound — certain
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. object — to protest
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ball — a great time
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. clip — for paper
  16. object — a thing
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rock — music
  20. clip — to cut
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bound — obliged
  23. clip — a video
  24. bound — tied together

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