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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: calf · straw · stick · roll · degree · chip · drill · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. drill — the tool
  4. chip — for betting
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. degree — temperature
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lie — to recline
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. roll — a cake
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. drill — a practice
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. drill — army training
  19. degree — from a university
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. roll — a list

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