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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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Word bank
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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: sharp · stick · cabinet · root · degree · bank · wake · lash

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. root — the cause
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bank — of a river
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bank — for money
  21. root — of a word
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bank — for money
  24. wake — before a funeral

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