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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. lash — a whip stroke
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mark — a trace
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. drill — army training
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. drill — a practice
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  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