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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. pop — music
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fall — to drop
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pop — soda
  10. season — of the year
  11. fall — the season
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cap — of ice
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pop — to visit
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. season — in sport
  23. rush — hurry
  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