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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kick · drill · lash · ball · fan · degree · rock · stick

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. ball — a dance
  8. degree — an amount
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — a stone
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. drill — army training
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. degree — temperature
  23. drill — a practice
  24. kick — in football

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