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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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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: degree · chest · toast · leaves · lash · mark · jam · chip

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. chest — of your body
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mark — a grade
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chest — of your body
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. toast — bread
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. degree — temperature
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. chest — a box
  24. jam — in traffic

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