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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: mug · lie · calf · rule · spell · sharp · foot · degree

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — from a university
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. rule — government
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mug — a cup
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. spell — letters
  10. degree — an amount
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. rule — a law
  13. spell — magic
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lie — to recline
  16. foot — a measure
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mug — to rob
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. foot — the bottom
  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