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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: sharp · rest · degree · land · calf · lash · straw · leaves

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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. degree — temperature
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rest — what's left
  6. land — a country
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. degree — an amount
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. land — ground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. land — to come down
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rest — a break
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lash — an eyelash

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