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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chair — a leader
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. race — humankind
  5. suit — to fit
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. degree — temperature
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. suit — in cards
  15. race — the arms race
  16. degree — an amount
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. suit — clothes
  20. race — a contest
  21. plane — a tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — of the year
  24. degree — from a university

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