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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 120 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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lean — to bend
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fall — the season
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fall — to drop

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