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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. object — an aim
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. object — a thing
  15. snap — to click
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. object — to protest
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. degree — an amount
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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