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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. object — a thing
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. row — to paddle
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. object — an aim
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rush — hurry
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. object — to protest
  21. row — a line
  22. degree — an amount
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. row — a quarrel

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