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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: lash · foot · chip · hand · race · degree · leaves · wake

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wake — a trail
  4. degree — temperature
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. degree — an amount
  15. race — humankind
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. degree — from a university
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. leaves — lets stay

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