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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.

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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: present · lash · temple · row · swing · degree · chip · stick

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. degree — an amount
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. degree — from a university
  6. row — a line
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — to eat
  12. swing — to play on
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. row — to paddle
  15. chip — for betting
  16. present — the time now
  17. degree — temperature
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. present — a gift
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. swing — music
  23. present — there
  24. swing — in golf

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