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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — a trail
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. degree — from a university
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. degree — an amount
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. rash — hasty
  17. game — a match
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rash — a series
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. spring — the season
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. safe — out of danger

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