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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: squash · lash · present · wave · sharp · degree · pitch · temple

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. present — a gift
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. present — the time now
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — clever
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. squash — the sport
  13. degree — an amount
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. present — there
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. squash — to crush
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pitch — a sports field

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