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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. charge — electricity
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — a friend
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. degree — temperature
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mate — to breed
  11. degree — from a university
  12. charge — a price
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. march — music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. march — the month
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. charge — in control
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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