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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 120 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: pass · swing · lie · calf · bowl · hide · last · degree

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — final
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. last — to go on
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lie — to recline
  17. last — finally
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pass — a permit
  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