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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stock — shares
  5. degree — an amount
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stock — goods
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fork — in a road
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rush — hurry
  24. degree — temperature

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