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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 120 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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. firm — a company
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bulb — for light
  6. firm — steady
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — an amount
  9. staff — employees
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pit — in a race
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pit — a hole
  20. staff — employees
  21. firm — decided
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. staff — a stick
  24. lash — an eyelash

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