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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 · leaves · wave · bat · calf · swing · lean · bear

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bat — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. degree — from a university
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lean — thin
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bear — the animal
  24. degree — temperature

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