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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: lash · arm · season · wind · degree · staff · scale · nail

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. season — in sport
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. staff — employees
  10. scale — size or range
  11. staff — employees
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. season — of the year
  14. degree — an amount
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wind — moving air
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. scale — in music

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