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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pass — a permit
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cue — a signal
  12. lean — thin
  13. key — in music
  14. degree — an amount
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. kick — in football
  18. pass — to succeed

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