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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. press — to push
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. row — to paddle
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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