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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. degree — from a university
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. dip — to sink
  23. fork — to eat with
  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