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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. degree — temperature
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. degree — an amount
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ball — a great time
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fall — to drop
  16. game — a match
  17. plane — a tool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. fall — the season
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ball — a round shape
  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