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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: stick · object · spring · lash · bore · shower · degree · plane

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. object — an aim
  3. degree — an amount
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — the season
  10. bore — to drill
  11. spring — a coil
  12. degree — from a university
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bore — to tire
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. object — a thing
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. spring — of water
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. object — to protest

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