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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. degree — temperature
  5. land — ground
  6. sharp — clever
  7. land — to come down
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mark — a trace
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. land — a country
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lie — to recline
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. degree — from a university
  18. scale — size or range
  19. degree — an amount
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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