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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. swing — in golf
  3. season — in sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. toast — bread
  8. swing — to play on
  9. degree — an amount
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. degree — from a university
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. vault — a safe
  20. swing — music
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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