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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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Word bank
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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. snap — to click
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. board — a committee
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. degree — temperature
  11. key — the most important part
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. degree — from a university
  21. key — in music
  22. board — to get on
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. key — for a lock

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