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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. degree — an amount
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. degree — from a university
  14. band — a music group
  15. stock — shares
  16. bound — certain
  17. kick — in football
  18. stock — goods
  19. band — a ring
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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