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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. degree — temperature
  3. kick — in football
  4. firm — decided
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fine — all right
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fine — high quality
  14. sharp — clever
  15. firm — a company
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. firm — steady
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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