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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · sharp · chip · bound · degree · craft · stand · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wake — a trail
  3. craft — boats
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. degree — from a university
  10. sharp — clever
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kick — in football
  15. degree — an amount
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bound — certain
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bound — tied together
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chip — for betting
  24. kick — a thrill

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