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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. rule — a law
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. stem — to come from
  22. present — a gift
  23. kick — in football
  24. nail — for a hammer

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