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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: chip · temple · court · fine · lash · degree · wound · tear

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. degree — an amount
  3. wound — an injury
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chip — to eat
  11. degree — temperature
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fine — high quality
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. degree — from a university
  21. court — of law
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wound — an injury

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