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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: degree · bat · can · present · racket · bank · lash · snap

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. can — a tin
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. snap — to click
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. present — the time now
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — temperature
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — there
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. can — to be able to
  23. degree — from a university
  24. present — a gift

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