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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. board — to get on
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. degree — an amount
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. court — for sport
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. board — a committee
  24. bat — the 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