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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: lean · lash · degree · straw · track · toast · bulb · capital

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. track — to keep track
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. capital — a city
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bulb — for light
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. lean — to bend
  14. toast — bread
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. capital — money
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. degree — from a university
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. track — a song
  21. lean — thin
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — a path

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