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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. date — the fruit
  7. firm — decided
  8. bound — obliged
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. degree — temperature
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. firm — a company
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. game — a match
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bound — tied together
  19. firm — steady
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bound — certain
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. wind — moving air

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