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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. snap — to click
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pop — soda
  12. degree — an amount
  13. kick — in football
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pop — to visit
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. pop — music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rush — hurry

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