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

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fall — to drop
  6. staff — employees
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. degree — from a university
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. last — finally
  13. stand — to bear
  14. staff — a stick
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. last — to go on
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. degree — an amount
  22. last — final
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. staff — employees

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