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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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · mine · lash · object · degree · pit · mate · can

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mate — a partner
  7. staff — employees
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. degree — temperature
  10. object — an aim
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. can — a tin
  13. staff — a stick
  14. can — a tin
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mate — to breed
  19. object — to protest
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. staff — employees
  23. object — a thing
  24. mine — for digging

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