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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · cap · saw · stem · calf · kid · degree · rush

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cap — a hat
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. track — a path
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. kid — child
  9. track — a song
  10. cap — of ice
  11. degree — temperature
  12. saw — the tool
  13. degree — from a university
  14. track — to keep track
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cap — a lid
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rush — hurry

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