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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: roll · bay · stem · degree · last · kick · lash · mug

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stem — to come from
  6. roll — a cake
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mug — to rob
  10. kick — in football
  11. last — to go on
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. roll — a list
  18. mug — a face
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mug — a cup

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