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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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. spell — letters
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bark — to shout
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bound — certain
  13. can — a tin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. race — the arms race
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bound — tied together
  19. race — a contest
  20. object — an aim
  21. can — a tin
  22. object — a thing
  23. bound — obliged
  24. object — to protest

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