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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.

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: fan · wave · lash · dip · calf · spell · degree · patient

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spell — letters
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. degree — from a university
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. spell — magic
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. degree — an amount
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. spell — a short time
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. degree — temperature
  24. fan — to cool the air

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