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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: key · straw · foot · lash · wax · kid · bulb · degree

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. degree — temperature
  5. kid — child
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. degree — from a university
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bulb — for light
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. degree — an amount
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. kid — to tease
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bulb — for light
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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