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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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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: temple · kick · wake · file · firm · squash · cue · degree

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. file — a tool
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. firm — decided
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. file — a line of people
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cue — a signal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. file — a document
  16. degree — temperature
  17. cue — for pool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. kick — in football
  21. firm — a company
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. firm — steady

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