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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. present — a gift
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rush — hurry
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. degree — an amount
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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