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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: board · lash · land · degree · calf · lie · can · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. saw — the tool
  4. land — to come down
  5. can — a tin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. degree — an amount
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. land — ground
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. can — to be able to
  16. land — a country
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. board — a committee
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. degree — from a university
  24. lie — to recline

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