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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. degree — from a university
  3. can — a tin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. degree — an amount
  11. can — a tin
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bank — of a river
  18. toast — bread
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. can — to be able to
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  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