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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: present · ground · kick · bark · fall · degree · lash · firm

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. present — a gift
  13. degree — from a university
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. present — the time now
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ground — crushed
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. fall — to drop
  21. firm — decided
  22. degree — an amount
  23. present — there
  24. fall — the season

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