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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. rock — a stone
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. staff — a stick
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — an amount
  8. hand — help
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rock — music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cap — a hat
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — of a word
  18. staff — employees
  19. root — of a plant
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. root — the cause
  24. land — to come down

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