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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: foot · roll · staff · hand · kick · bay · pass · degree

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pass — a permit
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. degree — an amount
  11. staff — employees
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. roll — a list
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. hand — help
  19. staff — employees
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. kick — in football
  24. staff — a stick

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