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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mate — to breed
  3. degree — from a university
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. firm — steady
  6. march — the month
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rule — government
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. degree — temperature
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. firm — a company
  16. mate — a friend
  17. firm — decided
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. march — music
  22. rule — a law
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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