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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: snap · toast · row · jam · lean · degree · lash · safe

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lean — thin
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. row — to paddle
  8. snap — to click
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. toast — bread
  13. row — a line
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — an amount
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — temperature
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. safe — a strongbox

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