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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cell — in biology
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. degree — from a university
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. degree — an amount
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cell — a phone
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lean — thin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — to trim

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