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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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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: content · swing · degree · lash · bay · stand · wave · charge

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. content — happy
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. swing — in golf
  7. charge — a price
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. content — the amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. charge — in control
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. charge — electricity
  23. swing — music
  24. degree — from a university

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