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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. degree — temperature
  3. tear — to rip
  4. lean — thin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — in football
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. degree — from a university
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lean — to bend
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bound — obliged
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lean — to rest against

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