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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. suit — clothes
  4. degree — temperature
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. degree — an amount
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. present — there
  12. suit — in cards
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rash — hasty
  15. ground — crushed
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rash — a series
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. degree — from a university
  22. present — the time now
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. ground — a position

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