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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.

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: degree · trunk · mouse · charge · rush · lash · date · craft

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. degree — an amount
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. charge — a price
  7. rush — hurry
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. degree — temperature
  15. craft — a skill
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. craft — boats
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. degree — from a university
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mouse — for a computer

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