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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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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: lean · lie · club · degree · pit · lash · track · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. club — a group
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lean — thin
  15. club — for golf
  16. track — a song
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. club — for dancing
  20. degree — from a university
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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