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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.

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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: calf · lie · dip · nail · craft · race · degree · wax

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wax — to grow
  8. degree — from a university
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. degree — temperature
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. degree — an amount
  16. race — humankind
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — a contest
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. nail — for a hammer

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