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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · season · spell · kid · swing · fine · dip · degree

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. season — in sport
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. degree — from a university
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. swing — music
  9. spell — letters
  10. swing — to play on
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. swing — in golf
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fine — high quality
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. degree — an amount
  24. dip — to dunk

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