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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. degree — temperature
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mate — to breed
  6. tear — from crying
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. face — to point toward
  16. club — a group
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lean — thin
  19. bore — to drill
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. club — for golf
  23. tear — from crying
  24. calf — a young animal

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