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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.

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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. object — to protest
  7. mug — a cup
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. board — a committee
  11. degree — an amount
  12. mug — a face
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. board — to get on
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mug — to rob
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. patient — a sick person

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