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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · bank · mouse · chip · lash · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mate — a partner
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. mate — a friend
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bank — for money

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