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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 120 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. kid — child
  3. pit — in a race
  4. lie — to recline
  5. firm — steady
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cue — a hint
  9. firm — a company
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. degree — temperature
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. firm — decided
  17. degree — an amount
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. pit — a hole
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. calf — of the leg

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