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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · degree · suit · clip · hide · cabinet · object · chip

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. clip — for paper
  4. kick — in football
  5. degree — temperature
  6. suit — clothes
  7. degree — from a university
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. object — a thing
  10. chip — to eat
  11. degree — an amount
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. clip — a video
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. clip — to cut
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chip — for betting
  23. suit — to fit
  24. kick — with a leg

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