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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. degree — temperature
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rush — hurry
  7. season — in sport
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. degree — from a university
  15. craft — boats
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. season — of the year
  22. branch — a division
  23. craft — a skill
  24. season — to add flavour

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