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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 120 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. degree — temperature
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rash — a series
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. deal — to handle
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rash — hasty

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