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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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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: track · calf · degree · straw · mug · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mug — a face
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. track — to keep track
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. track — a path
  8. degree — an amount
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mug — a cup
  11. track — a song
  12. degree — from a university
  13. snap — to click
  14. mug — to rob
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. degree — temperature

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