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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lean · degree · firm · roll · tear · wave · kick · mug

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. degree — temperature
  5. roll — a list
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. firm — decided
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. lean — to bend
  12. degree — from a university
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. degree — an amount
  16. firm — steady
  17. tear — to rip
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lean — thin
  23. firm — a company
  24. mug — to rob

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