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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. swing — to play on
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rest — what's left
  6. swing — in golf
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — finally
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. last — to go on
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. rest — a break
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. swing — music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. kick — in football
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. last — final
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. safe — out of danger

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