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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 116 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: dip · hand · squash · degree · drill · calf · fork · row

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. drill — army training
  3. degree — temperature
  4. row — to paddle
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. degree — from a university
  8. drill — a practice
  9. degree — an amount
  10. dip — to sink
  11. row — a line
  12. hand — in cards
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. squash — the sport
  19. drill — the tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. squash — to crush
  23. hand — help
  24. fork — in a road

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