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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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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bound — certain
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bound — obliged
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rock — a stone
  13. lean — thin
  14. rock — music
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — a container
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. can — to be able to
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — a tin
  23. degree — an amount
  24. racket — a loud noise

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