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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. face — to point toward
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fork — in a road
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. degree — from a university
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. face — to confront
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. degree — an amount
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lie — to recline
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. degree — temperature

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