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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: wound · degree · saw · leaves · firm · lash · lean · stock

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. firm — a company
  3. degree — from a university
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stock — shares
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. firm — steady
  12. degree — temperature
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. degree — an amount
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. lean — thin
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lean — to bend

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