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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · rash · mate · current · degree · last · kick · calf

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. degree — an amount
  3. last — final
  4. mate — a partner
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. current — of water
  11. mate — to breed
  12. craft — boats
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rash — a series
  15. last — finally
  16. rash — hasty
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. degree — from a university
  19. current — electric
  20. last — to go on
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. current — happening now
  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