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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: land · bat · lash · bark · present · suit · degree · rock

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. land — to come down
  3. suit — clothes
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. degree — from a university
  8. land — a country
  9. present — the time now
  10. land — ground
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. present — a gift
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. suit — in cards
  20. present — there
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. degree — temperature
  24. rock — music

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