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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 124 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. foot — a measure
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mug — a cup
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. mug — a face
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. degree — temperature
  13. mug — to rob
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. stand — to bear
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. kick — in football
  24. hide — to keep secret

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