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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fall — the season
  3. rash — hasty
  4. degree — an amount
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rash — a series
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. sharp — clever
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — to drop
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. degree — from a university
  23. mate — a friend
  24. hide — animal skin

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