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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. craft — boats
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lie — to recline
  11. march — the month
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. march — music
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pound — a weight
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. degree — temperature
  23. march — the month
  24. craft — a skill

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