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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rest — what's left
  5. dip — to sink
  6. degree — an amount
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. game — a match
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — a break
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bulb — for light
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bowl — a dish

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