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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: degree · dip · face · bulb · lash · calf · bass · spring

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bulb — for light
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spring — the season
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. spring — of water
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bass — the fish
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bass — low music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. degree — temperature

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