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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
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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: rash · saw · calf · bank · straw · key · bat · degree

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bat — the animal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bank — of a river
  11. degree — an amount
  12. key — for a lock
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. key — in music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — a series
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. key — the most important part
  21. degree — temperature
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. degree — from a university
  24. saw — the tool

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