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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. file — a document
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bank — for money
  7. file — a tool
  8. ball — a dance
  9. root — of a plant
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bank — of a river
  12. root — of a word
  13. firm — a company
  14. root — the cause
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ball — a great time
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. bank — for money
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. degree — from a university
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wave — with your hand

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