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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.

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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: lie · snap · degree · nail · wound · swing · calf · hand

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. degree — temperature
  17. swing — to play on
  18. degree — an amount
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. degree — from a university
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lie — to recline

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