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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: jam · scale · lean · lash · degree · mine · deal · season

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. scale — size or range
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. lean — thin
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. degree — from a university
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. season — in sport
  16. scale — in music
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. season — of the year
  24. lean — to bend

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