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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: object · lie · lash · degree · fork · bat · pit · rush

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. degree — an amount
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bat — the animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. degree — from a university
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pit — in a race
  16. object — to protest
  17. rush — hurry
  18. object — a thing
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. object — an aim
  24. lash — to lash out

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