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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: degree · lie · straw · foot · lash · stick · calf · game

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. game — wild animals
  10. foot — a measure
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lie — to recline
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. degree — from a university
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. degree — temperature
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. game — a match

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