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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 124 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: lie · kid · roll · foot · rush · sharp · firm · degree

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. degree — from a university
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. kid — to tease
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. firm — decided
  10. kid — child
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. roll — a list
  17. firm — a company
  18. lie — to recline
  19. firm — steady
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rush — to hurry

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