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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. pound — a weight
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mate — a friend
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spell — letters
  10. land — a country
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. spell — magic
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. land — ground
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mate — to breed
  20. degree — temperature
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. land — to come down
  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