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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pop — soda
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. mark — a grade
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pass — a permit
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. chest — a box
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pop — to visit
  17. suit — to fit
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — temperature
  20. pop — music
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mark — a trace
  24. chest — of your body

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