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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: roll · lean · object · plane · mug · degree · lie · lash

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mug — to rob
  3. object — to protest
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mug — a face
  8. degree — from a university
  9. plane — a tool
  10. roll — a cake
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — thin
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. object — an aim
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. object — a thing
  20. lean — to bend
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. plane — an aircraft

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