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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 120 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.

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: staff · calf · bulb · kick · degree · mate · fine · band

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fine — high quality
  4. staff — a stick
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. bulb — for light
  10. degree — an amount
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mate — a friend
  13. band — a music group
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fine — all right
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kick — in football
  24. staff — employees

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