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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: mark · lash · board · deal · nail · snap · degree · stick

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. board — a committee
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mark — a trace
  14. snap — to click
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. board — to get on
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. degree — from a university

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