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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. degree — from a university
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. degree — temperature
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. staff — employees
  18. fine — all right
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. degree — an amount
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. branch — a division

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