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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. object — to protest
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. object — a thing
  8. drill — the tool
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. drill — a practice
  13. prune — to trim
  14. ground — crushed
  15. drill — army training
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. degree — temperature
  19. ground — the earth
  20. prune — to trim
  21. object — an aim
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ground — a position
  24. trunk — of a car

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