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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 · bay · last

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bank — of a river
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bank — for money
  8. last — finally
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. last — to go on
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. last — final
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mouse — for a computer

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