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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. charge — a price
  4. club — a group
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — electricity
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — music
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. charge — in control
  14. degree — an amount
  15. rest — a break
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. degree — from a university
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — to recline
  23. degree — temperature
  24. club — for dancing

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