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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. degree — an amount
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. toast — bread
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — a permit
  8. degree — from a university
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. degree — temperature
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fall — the season
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. craft — boats
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. calf — a young animal

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