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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. board — a committee
  5. chip — to eat
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. can — to be able to
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rest — a break
  14. board — to get on
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — a tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. root — of a word
  24. rest — what's left

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