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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. court — of law
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. court — for sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. shower — rain
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. court — of a king
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — to bear
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. degree — an amount
  14. shower — to wash
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. degree — temperature
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lean — thin
  24. degree — from a university

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