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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rest — a break
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rest — what's left
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. band — a music group
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bulb — for light
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bulb — of a plant

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