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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 120 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. degree — from a university
  3. suit — to fit
  4. degree — an amount
  5. shower — rain
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mate — a partner
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. suit — in cards
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mate — a friend
  17. lean — to bend
  18. degree — temperature
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. suit — clothes
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lean — thin
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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