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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bark — to shout
  6. tube — a container
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. present — the time now
  9. degree — an amount
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bear — the animal
  12. present — there
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. present — a gift
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. coach — a trainer

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