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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 120 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: stand · degree · lie · calf · snap · bulb · pitcher · rush

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bulb — for light
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rush — hurry
  9. degree — an amount
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. snap — to click
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stand — to bear
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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