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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: arm · fine · lean · wind · mate · degree · wake · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lean — thin
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lean — to bend
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fine — high quality
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. degree — an amount
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wind — moving air
  18. degree — temperature
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mate — a partner
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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