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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. degree — an amount
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fine — all right
  5. degree — from a university
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. degree — temperature
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fine — high quality

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