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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. degree — from a university
  7. ground — the earth
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kick — in football
  12. ground — a position
  13. spell — a short time
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ground — crushed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. spell — letters
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. spell — magic
  24. pitch — completely

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