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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fall — to drop
  7. face — to point toward
  8. degree — an amount
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. degree — temperature
  11. track — a song
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fall — the season
  17. face — to confront
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. can — a tin
  23. face — part of the head
  24. can — a tin

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