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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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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: sharp · degree · row · pit · rock · lash · mate · spring

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. row — a line
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spring — the season
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. spring — a coil
  18. sharp — clever
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rock — music
  21. pit — a hole
  22. spring — of water
  23. degree — an amount
  24. mate — a friend

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