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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: degree · lash · mark · trunk · rash · bore · clip · stand

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rash — a series
  4. bore — to tire
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mark — a grade
  7. clip — to cut
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bore — to drill
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. clip — for paper
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. clip — a video
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. degree — temperature
  24. stand — for spectators

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