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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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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: wound · pass · lash · season · roll · degree · kick · bank

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bank — for money
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. season — in sport
  6. degree — an amount
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kick — in football
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bank — for money
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. season — of the year
  23. roll — a list
  24. kick — a thrill

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