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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · tear · cabinet · fine · mate · lash · suit · degree

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mate — to breed
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bass — the fish
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. degree — from a university
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bass — low music
  17. suit — to fit
  18. degree — temperature
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fine — all right
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. tear — from crying

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