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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cell — a phone
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. roll — a cake
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. roll — a list
  13. toast — bread
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bear — the animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. degree — from a university
  24. firm — decided

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