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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. 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. calf — of the leg
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fall — to drop
  4. squash — to crush
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. toast — bread
  9. fall — the season
  10. squash — the sport
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. current — electric
  14. stem — to come from
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. current — of water
  19. degree — temperature
  20. fall — to drop
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. current — happening now
  24. 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