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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. row — to paddle
  3. last — to go on
  4. row — a line
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. present — there
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. degree — from a university
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. present — a gift
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — the time now
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wave — with your hand

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