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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.

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: degree · bear · rash · lie · hand · calf · last · bowl

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. last — to go on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — a series
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. degree — temperature
  17. bear — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. last — final
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. hand — help
  24. last — finally

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