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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: tube · degree · mug · calf · spell · drill · roll · rash

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — hasty
  4. tube — the underground
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mug — a face
  7. roll — a list
  8. drill — army training
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. degree — an amount
  11. spell — magic
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rash — a series
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. roll — a cake
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mug — to rob
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. spell — letters
  22. degree — temperature
  23. drill — a practice
  24. degree — from a university

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