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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. degree — an amount
  2. chest — a box
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. degree — temperature
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pop — music
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pop — soda
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chest — of your body
  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