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

Word bank: suit · lash · bowl · degree · bank · wind

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. suit — in cards
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bank — for money
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wind — moving air
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bowl — a dish

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