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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. shower — rain
  3. degree — an amount
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. toast — bread
  6. deal — to handle
  7. degree — temperature
  8. suit — in cards
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. tear — from crying
  11. suit — clothes
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tear — to rip
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. suit — to fit
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. arm — part of the body
  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