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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. perch — the fish
  4. current — electric
  5. degree — from a university
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. kick — in football
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. current — happening now
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. current — of water
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. kick — with a leg

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