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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. degree — an amount
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fall — to drop
  5. degree — temperature
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — a stone
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. staff — employees
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. staff — a stick
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fall — the season
  19. rock — music
  20. degree — from a university
  21. staff — employees
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — to handle
  24. kick — in football

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