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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: can · temple · hand · degree · cue · snap · lash · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cue — for pool
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. cue — a signal
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. degree — temperature
  11. cue — a hint
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. hand — help
  16. degree — an amount
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. degree — from a university

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