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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.

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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fall — the season
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. degree — temperature
  7. suit — clothes
  8. snap — to click
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. firm — decided
  11. fall — to drop
  12. suit — to fit
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. suit — in cards
  17. degree — an amount
  18. firm — steady
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kick — in football
  24. firm — a company

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