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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: straw · trunk · racket · fan · calf · key · degree · lean

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. key — the most important part
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. key — in music
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. key — for a lock
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lean — thin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. degree — temperature
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. straw — dry grass

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