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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: dip · straw · degree · hide · kick · temple · object · pitch

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. object — to protest
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. kick — in football
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pitch — completely
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. degree — temperature
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. degree — an amount
  21. dip — to sink
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. straw — dry grass

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