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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 120 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: bank · deal · degree · prune · dip · hand · lash · hide

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bank — of a river
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. degree — an amount
  11. hand — in cards
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — to handle
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bank — for money
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  24. hand — help

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