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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 116 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: prune · degree · row · calf · current · cue · lash · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cue — a signal
  5. degree — an amount
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. prune — to trim
  9. current — electric
  10. cue — for pool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. current — happening now
  15. mate — a friend
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. current — of water
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cue — a hint
  22. mate — to breed
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. degree — temperature

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