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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · pound · toast · stem · calf · wave · degree · bat

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. toast — bread
  6. bat — the animal
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pound — a weight
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rash — a series
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stem — to come from
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. calf — of the leg

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