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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fine — all right
  3. season — of the year
  4. degree — temperature
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. suit — in cards
  7. season — in sport
  8. suit — clothes
  9. degree — from a university
  10. suit — to fit
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lean — to bend
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — high quality
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lie — to recline
  24. calf — a young animal

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