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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. cue — a signal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cue — for pool
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ball — a dance
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fall — the season
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. degree — temperature
  16. tear — from crying
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rush — hurry
  20. cue — a hint
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tear — from crying

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