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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. last — final
  3. dip — to sink
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. degree — from a university
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. march — the month
  8. last — to go on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. march — the month
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. kick — in football
  17. vault — a safe
  18. degree — temperature
  19. last — finally
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. degree — an amount
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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