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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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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: lean · pound · degree · rest · cabinet · lie · calf · staff

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rest — what's left
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rest — a break
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. staff — employees
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. staff — a stick
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cabinet — ministers

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