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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bound — obliged
  4. degree — an amount
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bound — certain
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. squash — the sport
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bound — tied together
  12. degree — temperature
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. degree — from a university
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wind — moving air
  22. can — a tin
  23. lie — to recline
  24. can — a tin

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