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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 120 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: lash · hand · stick · fan · scale · row · root · degree

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. root — of a plant
  7. scale — size or range
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. scale — in music
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. root — of a word
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. root — the cause
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hand — in cards

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