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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: lean · degree · stem · mug · track · rock · calf · mate

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mug — a face
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mate — to breed
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. degree — from a university
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stem — to come from
  10. track — a path
  11. mug — to rob
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mug — a cup
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rock — a stone
  17. track — a song
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — music
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mate — a partner

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