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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: dip · deal · degree · lash · wound · trunk · hand · perch

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. degree — from a university
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. degree — an amount
  11. wound — an injury
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. dip — to sink
  17. degree — temperature
  18. hand — help
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lash — an eyelash

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