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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mug — a cup
  4. degree — from a university
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ground — crushed
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mug — a face
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ground — a position
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pass — a permit
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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