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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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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 · craft · firm · coach · calf · bowl · lash · lie

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. degree — from a university
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. firm — a company
  9. degree — temperature
  10. firm — decided
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — boats
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. craft — a skill
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. degree — an amount
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. coach — a trainer

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