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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. firm — a company
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. swing — to play on
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wake — a trail
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. firm — steady
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fall — to drop
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. object — an aim
  18. fall — to drop
  19. swing — music
  20. object — a thing
  21. fall — the season
  22. degree — temperature
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. firm — decided

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