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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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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: stem · degree · lash · field · calf · rush · can · plane

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. degree — temperature
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. field — a subject
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. field — farmland
  14. degree — an amount
  15. field — for sport
  16. plane — a tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. degree — from a university
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rush — hurry
  24. calf — of the leg

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