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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 120 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: can · stand · degree · current · club · rest · lash · patient

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. current — of water
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. current — electric
  9. club — for golf
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. degree — an amount
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. can — a tin
  15. current — happening now
  16. can — a tin
  17. degree — from a university
  18. club — for dancing
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rest — a break
  22. club — a group
  23. rest — what's left
  24. patient — a sick person

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