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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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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: leaves · tear · degree · fall · pass · wave · can · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. can — a tin
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pass — a permit
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fall — to drop
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fall — to drop
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. can — a tin
  18. tear — from crying
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fall — the season
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. kick — in football

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