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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. net — for catching
  3. lie — to recline
  4. net — in sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. degree — from a university
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. chest — of your body
  9. degree — an amount
  10. net — after costs
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fall — the season
  22. chest — a box
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lie — an untruth

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