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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: cap · pound · spring · suit · chest · degree · lash · bank

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. chest — a box
  8. bank — of a river
  9. spring — the season
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cap — of ice
  14. suit — to fit
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bank — for money
  17. degree — an amount
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bank — for money
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chest — of your body

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