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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lean — to bend
  3. suit — to fit
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — temperature
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. race — a contest
  15. lean — thin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. race — humankind
  20. date — the fruit
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. race — the arms race
  24. degree — an amount

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