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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: mark · lash · spring · prune · degree · firm · wake · key

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wake — a trail
  5. degree — from a university
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. key — the most important part
  10. firm — decided
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. prune — to trim
  15. degree — an amount
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — a company
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spring — a coil
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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