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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
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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: season · bowl · safe · degree · lash · row · mark · mouse

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. season — of the year
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. season — in sport
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. degree — an amount
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. row — to paddle
  23. degree — temperature
  24. row — a line

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