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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. swing — music
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. degree — from a university
  13. prune — to trim
  14. hand — in cards
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. prune — to trim
  19. swing — in golf
  20. degree — an amount
  21. swing — to play on
  22. hand — help
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fan — a supporter

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