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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: pop · mate · snap · calf · straw · shower · ball · degree

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pop — to visit
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. mate — a partner
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. snap — to click
  18. degree — an amount
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pop — music
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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