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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lie — to recline
  4. degree — temperature
  5. net — in sport
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. net — after costs
  8. suit — in cards
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. net — for catching
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. degree — an amount
  21. suit — clothes
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. suit — to fit

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