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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. fall — to drop
  3. current — of water
  4. pass — a permit
  5. row — a line
  6. fall — to drop
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. fall — the season
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. degree — from a university
  18. current — electric
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. current — happening now
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fan — a supporter

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