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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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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. season — of the year
  9. bound — certain
  10. tear — to rip
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bound — tied together
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. season — in sport
  21. degree — from a university
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wake — before a funeral

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