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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. degree — from a university
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. lean — thin
  6. degree — temperature
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — a division
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — to bend
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. calf — of the leg

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