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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: rock · toast · rule · season · hide · temple · degree · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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. toast — bread
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. degree — from a university
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rule — government
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rule — a law
  12. season — of the year
  13. rock — a stone
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — music
  18. season — in sport
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. degree — temperature

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