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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. firm — steady
  7. bat — the animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. ball — a great time
  10. firm — a company
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. firm — decided
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. degree — an amount
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. kick — in football
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. ball — a dance

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