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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. kick — in football
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rash — hasty
  7. current — electric
  8. cap — a lid
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. current — of water
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. current — happening now
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cap — a hat
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lash — to lash out

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