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

Word bank: wind · kick · dip · vault · net · stick · degree · fall

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. degree — from a university
  3. kick — in football
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fall — to drop
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fall — the season
  10. dip — to sink
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. degree — an amount
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wind — moving air
  17. net — after costs
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. net — in sport
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fall — to drop
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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