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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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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: root · swing · capital · lean · lash · wake · squash · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. capital — a city
  3. swing — music
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. root — of a word
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lean — thin
  16. wake — a trail
  17. degree — an amount
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. swing — in golf
  20. squash — the sport
  21. swing — to play on
  22. capital — money
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lean — to bend

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