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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.

Make a worksheet

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: degree · hand · dip · cabinet · pitch · firm · clip · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hand — in cards
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. clip — for paper
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. firm — a company
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hand — help
  13. clip — to cut
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. clip — a video

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