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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 120 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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rash — a series
  4. stand — to bear
  5. degree — an amount
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rash — hasty
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lean — thin
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. degree — temperature

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