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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
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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: snap · calf · degree · swing · lean · fan · rush · temple

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lean — thin
  3. snap — to click
  4. swing — music
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lean — to bend
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rush — hurry
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. degree — from a university
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. degree — temperature
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. degree — an amount

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