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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: wake · fine · drill · degree · calf · cue · fan · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. drill — a practice
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fine — all right
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cue — for pool
  11. degree — temperature
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. drill — army training
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fine — high quality

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