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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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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: key · chip · kick · wave · foot · stand · clip · degree

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. kick — in football
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. clip — to cut
  9. foot — a measure
  10. degree — temperature
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. chip — for betting
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. clip — for paper
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chip — to eat
  21. clip — a video
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stand — on your feet

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