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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 116 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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. capital — a city
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. degree — an amount
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. kick — in football
  12. shower — to wash
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lean — thin
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lean — to bend
  19. shower — rain
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. degree — from a university
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. capital — money

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