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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 · spell · mark · calf · wake · roll · bay · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. roll — a list
  3. spell — letters
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. mark — a grade
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — a trace
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. spell — a short time
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. degree — an amount
  21. spell — magic
  22. degree — from a university
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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