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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. degree — an amount
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. rush — hurry
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fall — the season
  21. degree — from a university
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mouse — the 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