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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. swing — in golf
  13. degree — temperature
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rush — hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. degree — from a university
  22. swing — music
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lash — to lash out

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