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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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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: degree · lash · lean · land · last · rash · squash · object

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. squash — the sport
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. object — an aim
  6. land — ground
  7. rash — a series
  8. degree — temperature
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. degree — an amount
  11. last — final
  12. object — to protest
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. last — finally
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. last — to go on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. land — to come down
  19. squash — to crush
  20. object — a thing
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. degree — from a university
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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