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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: chip · season · safe · present · mate · kick · lean · degree

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. degree — an amount
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lean — thin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. chip — to eat
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. present — a gift
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. season — of the year
  18. mate — a friend
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. chip — for betting
  22. present — the time now
  23. season — in sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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