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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. degree — from a university
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mug — to rob
  9. degree — temperature
  10. dip — to sink
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bound — certain
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tube — the underground
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. tube — a container
  18. mug — a cup
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mug — a face
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lash — an eyelash

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