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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.

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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: stick · sharp · degree · ball · tear · lean · kick · board

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lean — to bend
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. board — a committee
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a dance
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. degree — from a university
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a great time
  18. tear — to rip
  19. board — to get on
  20. degree — an amount
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kick — in football
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lean — thin

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