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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: object · craft · file · lash · spring · chair · degree · calf

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. craft — boats
  3. degree — an amount
  4. spring — a coil
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. file — a tool
  7. craft — a skill
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. degree — temperature
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spring — of water
  14. object — an aim
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. object — to protest
  17. degree — from a university
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. spring — the season
  24. object — a thing

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