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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: scale · wave · sharp · wind · suit · safe · degree · lash

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. scale — size or range
  6. degree — an amount
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wind — moving air
  11. suit — to fit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wind — moving air
  16. degree — temperature
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. scale — in music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. sharp — clever
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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