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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 116 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: bowl · degree · chip · lean · bat · stand · pass · lash

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lean — to bend
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. degree — an amount
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pass — a permit
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lean — thin
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lean — to rest against

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