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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bound — tied together
  5. spring — the season
  6. degree — an amount
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. craft — a skill
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spring — of water
  14. degree — temperature
  15. craft — boats
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. degree — from a university
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bound — certain
  24. ball — a dance

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