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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. kick — in football
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. spring — of water
  7. suit — to fit
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. race — humankind
  10. suit — clothes
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rest — a break
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. degree — from a university
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. race — a contest
  24. spring — the season

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