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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. board — a committee
  3. pit — in a race
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rest — a break
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. board — to get on
  10. degree — from a university
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. degree — an amount

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