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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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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: last · roll · season · fine · squash · degree · lash · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. last — finally
  4. season — of the year
  5. roll — a cake
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. degree — from a university
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. roll — a list
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fine — all right
  13. degree — temperature
  14. squash — the sport
  15. last — final
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. last — to go on
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fine — high quality
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fine — a penalty

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