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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 120 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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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: bound · cell · lash · degree · rush · chip · row · snap

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. degree — temperature
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. degree — from a university
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cell — a phone
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bound — certain
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. row — to paddle
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. snap — to click
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. row — a line
  24. rush — hurry

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