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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.

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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: ruler · club · mate · degree · wind · snap · calf · coach

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. club — for dancing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. club — a group
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mate — a friend
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mate — a partner
  16. club — for golf
  17. degree — temperature
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. degree — an amount
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. coach — a trainer

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