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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitcher · content · degree · object · snap · saw · lash · drill

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. saw — the tool
  3. content — happy
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. degree — from a university
  7. object — a thing
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. object — to protest
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. saw — the tool
  13. content — the amount
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. drill — army training
  19. object — an aim
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pitcher — a jug

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