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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 124 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: fall · pass · calf · ruler · degree · hand · track · foot

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. degree — an amount
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. track — to keep track
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pass — a permit
  10. degree — from a university
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. track — a song
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fall — the season
  20. track — a path
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. calf — a young animal

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