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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. club — for golf
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. shower — to wash
  5. squash — to crush
  6. saw — the tool
  7. degree — temperature
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lean — thin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lean — to bend
  12. object — a thing
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. club — a group
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — to protest
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. object — an aim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. degree — from a university
  22. club — for dancing
  23. degree — an amount
  24. shower — rain

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