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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 · coach · rash · bound · cue · bay · hand · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hand — help
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. hand — in cards
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. degree — an amount
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cue — a hint
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rash — a series
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rash — hasty
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. degree — from a university

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