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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. hand — help
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wake — a trail
  12. firm — decided
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. degree — from a university
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. firm — a company
  18. degree — an amount
  19. spell — letters
  20. saw — the tool
  21. hand — in cards
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. firm — steady
  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