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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 116 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: bound · sharp · lash · pit · saw · mark · wound · degree

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pit — in a race
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bound — certain
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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