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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bowl · degree · wave · sharp · lash · ball · face · dip

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ball — a great time
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. face — to point toward
  11. degree — temperature
  12. face — to confront
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. dip — to sink

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