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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: wound · mug · degree · bear · rock · lash · shower · land

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. land — a country
  6. degree — from a university
  7. mug — a cup
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. land — to come down
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. land — ground
  20. degree — temperature
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mug — a face
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bear — the animal

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