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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: mark · rule · net · lash · game · bound · degree · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — a law
  7. bound — certain
  8. rule — government
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bound — obliged
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. net — for catching
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. degree — an amount
  18. game — a match
  19. degree — from a university
  20. net — after costs
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. game — wild animals
  23. net — in sport
  24. leaves — lets stay

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