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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. degree — an amount
  4. track — a song
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. degree — from a university
  13. tear — to rip
  14. track — to keep track
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. track — a path
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. chair — a leader
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. tear — from crying
  24. degree — temperature

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