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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. prune — to trim
  5. club — for dancing
  6. degree — temperature
  7. club — a group
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. club — for golf
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. degree — from a university
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — thin
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lean — to bend
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  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