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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. present — there
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. last — to go on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. present — the time now
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. last — final
  10. firm — a company
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. degree — an amount
  15. last — finally
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — steady
  18. rash — hasty
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — from a university
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. firm — decided
  23. present — a gift
  24. rash — a series

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