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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: rush · cell · fan · calf · degree · pass · net · stick

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rush — hurry
  9. net — for catching
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. net — in sport
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. degree — from a university
  15. net — after costs
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pass — a permit
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cell — a phone
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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