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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: last · kick · lash · degree · firm · chip · calf · pit

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. firm — a company
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. degree — from a university
  10. last — to go on
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. firm — steady
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. firm — decided
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. last — finally
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. last — final
  24. pit — a hole

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