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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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Word bank
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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: stand · degree · firm · sharp · mouse · calf · tear · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. tear — to rip
  3. firm — decided
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stand — to bear
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. degree — temperature
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. degree — an amount
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. firm — a company
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. firm — steady

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