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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mate — a partner
  11. degree — an amount
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. degree — from a university
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bound — certain
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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