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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: toast · bowl · ruler · bear · lash · degree · clip · suit

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. toast — bread
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — the animal
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. clip — to cut

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