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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: club · lash · degree · present · calf · mate

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. club — for golf
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mate — a partner
  5. club — for dancing
  6. degree — from a university
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. club — a group
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mate — to breed
  11. degree — an amount
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — a friend
  14. present — there
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. degree — temperature
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift

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