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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · hide · plane · degree · pass · wave · pit · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — an amount
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. plane — a tool
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pass — to spend time

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