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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
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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: degree · snap · face · kick · can · bass · cap · bound

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. kick — in football
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bass — low music
  9. cap — a hat
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bound — tied together
  12. can — a tin
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cap — of ice
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. degree — from a university
  19. face — to confront
  20. bass — the fish
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to click
  23. face — to point toward
  24. cap — a lid

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