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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. degree — temperature
  3. wound — an injury
  4. degree — from a university
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. club — a group
  10. file — a line of people
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. club — for golf
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mark — a trace
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. degree — an amount

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