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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: rest · sharp · degree · safe · club · lash · foot · ball

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. degree — an amount
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. club — for dancing
  7. foot — a measure
  8. club — a group
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ball — a great time
  11. degree — from a university
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. club — for golf
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. sharp — clever
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rest — what's left
  22. degree — temperature
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. foot — part of the body

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