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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.

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: dip · perch · wake · fine · degree · saw · straw · calf

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fine — all right
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wake — a trail
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. fine — high quality
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. dip — to sink
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. saw — the tool
  23. degree — from a university
  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