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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: bank · degree · prune · charge · craft · kid · kick · lie

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. craft — a skill
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. kick — in football
  6. degree — from a university
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kid — child
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. charge — in control
  17. lie — to recline
  18. charge — a price
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bank — for money
  21. degree — an amount
  22. craft — boats
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — with a leg

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