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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bass — the fish
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pop — music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pop — soda
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rush — hurry
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. degree — an amount
  21. row — a line
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ball — a great time
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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