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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mug — a cup
  4. kick — in football
  5. mug — a face
  6. prune — to trim
  7. drill — the tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. drill — army training
  12. mug — to rob
  13. degree — an amount
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. drill — a practice
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. kick — a thrill

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