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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: degree · kick · deal · leaves · bore · chest · lie · swing

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. swing — in golf
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — to drill
  11. swing — music
  12. chest — of your body
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. chest — a box
  16. lie — to recline
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bore — to tire
  19. degree — from a university
  20. chest — of your body
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bore — gave birth

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