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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: lean · calf · cue · rash · hand · degree · roll · present

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. present — the time now
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. lean — thin
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. hand — in cards
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. hand — help
  16. rash — a series
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. present — there
  23. lean — to bend
  24. roll — on a roll

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