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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. firm — a company
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. snap — to click
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. perch — the fish
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. degree — an amount
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. degree — from a university
  18. firm — decided
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. kick — in football
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. firm — steady
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. degree — temperature

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