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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rest — a break
  10. tear — to rip
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rest — what's left
  14. degree — from a university
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. club — for golf
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tear — from crying
  20. plane — a tool
  21. degree — temperature
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. scale — in music

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