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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. degree — an amount
  6. degree — temperature
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. current — of water
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. current — electric
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tube — the underground
  20. lie — to recline
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lie — an untruth

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