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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 · wind · bound · rock · vault · leaves · root · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bound — obliged
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bound — certain
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. degree — an amount
  13. root — the cause
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rock — music
  16. bound — tied together
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rock — a stone
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wind — moving air
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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