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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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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: can · calf · stick · content · spell · degree · arm · tear

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. tear — from crying
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tear — to rip
  6. spell — letters
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. degree — from a university
  17. content — happy
  18. tear — from crying
  19. spell — a short time
  20. content — the amount
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. can — to be able to
  23. spell — magic
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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