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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 120 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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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: bowl · degree · rule · mouse · lash · lean · wind · firm

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. degree — temperature
  4. firm — a company
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rule — a law
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. firm — decided
  14. wind — moving air
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lean — thin
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rule — government
  24. firm — steady

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