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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: arm · degree · lash · firm · row · net · cabinet · pass

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. net — for catching
  9. firm — steady
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. net — after costs
  15. firm — decided
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. degree — from a university
  18. firm — a company
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — in sport
  23. row — a line
  24. degree — temperature

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