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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. degree — temperature
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. degree — an amount
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. drill — army training
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bank — for money
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bank — for money
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bank — of a river
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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