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

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. last — final
  3. mate — to breed
  4. firm — steady
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bound — certain
  8. rest — a break
  9. bound — tied together
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — a company
  12. tube — a container
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. degree — an amount
  16. last — finally
  17. firm — decided
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. last — to go on
  21. tube — the underground
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mate — a partner
  24. degree — temperature

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