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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: tube · calf · temple · degree · cabinet · coach · clip · spell

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. spell — letters
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. degree — temperature
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. clip — to cut
  8. spell — a short time
  9. degree — from a university
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. degree — an amount
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. spell — magic
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. tube — a container
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. clip — a video
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. clip — for paper

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