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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 116 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: rash · mine · bay · club · degree · lash · dip · mate

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. degree — an amount
  9. club — for golf
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. degree — temperature
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rash — a series

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