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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: lash · object · degree · lie · row · bank · root · drill

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bank — for money
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. drill — the tool
  9. root — the cause
  10. bank — of a river
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. drill — a practice
  14. degree — temperature
  15. root — of a plant
  16. object — to protest
  17. degree — from a university
  18. drill — army training
  19. root — of a word
  20. object — an aim
  21. bank — for money
  22. object — a thing
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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