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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. degree — from a university
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. firm — steady
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. chip — to eat
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lean — to bend
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. firm — a company
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chip — for betting
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lean — thin
  17. degree — temperature
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. degree — an amount
  21. firm — decided
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mark — a trace

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