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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 116 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: lash · kick · cell · calf · fall · fan · degree · pound

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. degree — temperature
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cell — a phone
  14. kick — in football
  15. fall — to drop
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fall — the season
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lash — an eyelash

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