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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rock — music
  9. degree — temperature
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cue — for pool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. cue — a signal
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. clip — to cut
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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