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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: stick · pass · mug · fine · lash · scale · degree · staff

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pass — a permit
  7. degree — an amount
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. staff — employees
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — a cup
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fine — all right
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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