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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — temperature
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. branch — a division
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. court — of law
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. degree — from a university
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. court — for sport
  16. key — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. court — of a king
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. calf — of the leg
  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