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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. degree — temperature
  6. drill — army training
  7. object — a thing
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. drill — the tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. deal — to handle
  17. object — to protest
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. degree — an amount
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bulb — for light
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. object — an aim

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