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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · lash · pass · scale · degree · fine · lean · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fine — all right
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. degree — an amount
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lean — thin
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pass — a permit
  22. degree — temperature
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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