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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.

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: degree · bore · swing · pop · stick · calf · branch · lean

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — soda
  9. degree — temperature
  10. lean — thin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bore — to drill
  16. swing — music
  17. degree — an amount
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. pop — music
  22. branch — a division
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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