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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mark — a trace
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. spring — of water
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mark — a grade
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bowl — a dish

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