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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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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 · band · pit · vault · dip · degree · lash · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. band — a ring
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pit — in a race
  5. degree — temperature
  6. dip — to sink
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. band — a music group
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. degree — an amount
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. degree — from a university
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pit — a hole

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