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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: rush · mate · calf · degree · club · jam · bore · nail

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rush — hurry
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. mate — a friend
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. club — for golf
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. club — a group
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. club — for dancing

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