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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. club — for dancing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. club — a group
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kick — in football
  14. degree — temperature
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. club — for golf
  18. cap — a hat
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cap — of ice
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cap — a lid

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