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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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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: roll · lash · dip · ruler · mate · leaves · hide · degree

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. degree — an amount
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mate — a friend
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mate — to breed
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. dip — to sink
  14. roll — a list
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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