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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. degree — from a university
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stem — to come from
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wound — an injury
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. squash — the sport

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