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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lie — to recline
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cell — in biology
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. degree — an amount
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. degree — temperature
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stock — goods
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stock — shares
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cell — in a prison

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