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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 120 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: clip · sharp · lash · suit · degree · stock · safe · track

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. clip — to cut
  3. stock — shares
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — from a university
  6. suit — clothes
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. track — a path
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stock — goods
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. clip — for paper
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. suit — to fit
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — a video
  21. suit — in cards
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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