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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. present — a gift
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. present — the time now
  7. wound — an injury
  8. present — there
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kick — in football
  19. degree — from a university
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wound — an injury

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