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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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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: temple · stick · net · march · lash · wound · degree · suit

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. suit — in cards
  3. net — in sport
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. suit — clothes
  8. net — after costs
  9. march — the month
  10. wound — an injury
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wound — an injury
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. net — for catching
  20. march — music
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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