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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fall — the season
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. firm — decided
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wind — moving air
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. firm — a company
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. firm — steady
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. degree — temperature
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. degree — an amount
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pass — a permit
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. fall — to drop

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