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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · can · safe · lie · degree · court · current · lash

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. degree — an amount
  3. court — for sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. current — electric
  6. degree — from a university
  7. current — happening now
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lie — to recline
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. can — a tin
  13. degree — temperature
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. can — a tin
  18. court — of a king
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — of law
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lash — an eyelash

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