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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: kick · bass · degree · present · root · snap · vault · rest

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. rest — what's left
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. root — the cause
  7. present — a gift
  8. degree — temperature
  9. vault — a safe
  10. root — of a word
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. root — of a plant
  14. present — there
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. snap — to click
  18. rest — a break
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bass — low music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. present — the time now
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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