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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rock — music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. foot — a measure
  7. degree — an amount
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bass — low music
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stem — to come from
  15. degree — from a university
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bass — the fish
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rock — to move gently

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