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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: stick · hide · kick · suit · current · wax · chest · degree

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. current — of water
  9. chest — of your body
  10. current — happening now
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. current — electric
  13. kick — in football
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — an amount
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — to fit
  18. chest — a box
  19. degree — temperature
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. suit — clothes

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