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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mark — a trace
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tube — the underground
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. plane — a tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — a container
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mark — a grade

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