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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bat — the animal
  3. charge — electricity
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. degree — temperature
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lie — to recline
  8. degree — an amount
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. degree — from a university
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rule — a law
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. charge — in control
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rule — government
  20. charge — a price
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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