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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: cabinet · wax · craft · degree · march · leaves · lie · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lie — to recline
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. craft — boats
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. march — the month
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wax — to grow
  23. degree — temperature
  24. degree — an amount

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