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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mug — to rob
  6. spring — of water
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lean — to bend
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. staff — a stick
  11. band — a music group
  12. mug — a face
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mug — a cup
  15. staff — employees
  16. spring — the season
  17. lean — thin
  18. spring — a coil
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. staff — employees
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. band — a ring
  24. dip — to sink

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