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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pop — soda
  5. rule — a law
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bound — certain
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. dip — to sink
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pop — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. hand — help
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bound — obliged
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. hand — in cards
  24. calf — a young animal

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