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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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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 · stand · object · rest · wave · degree · perch · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. object — a thing
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. object — to protest
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. object — an aim
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rest — what's left
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rest — a break

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