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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 116 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: rock · kick · sharp · rush · bass · degree · lie · track

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rock — a stone
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rock — music
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bass — low music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. degree — an amount
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bass — the fish
  23. sharp — clever
  24. track — a song

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