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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: lash · content · race · branch · degree · temple · tube · cabinet

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. content — the amount
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. degree — an amount
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. degree — temperature
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — a contest
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. race — the arms race
  22. content — happy
  23. tube — a container
  24. branch — of a bank

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