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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bass — low music
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cap — a hat
  12. degree — an amount
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. spring — of water
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. cap — a lid

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