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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mug — a cup
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. mug — a face
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pound — a weight
  19. degree — an amount
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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