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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. kick — in football
  5. snap — to click
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lean — thin
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ground — the earth
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stand — to bear
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. lean — to bend

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