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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 124 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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468
Word bank
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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. present — the time now
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. present — a gift
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. degree — from a university
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — there
  21. wound — an injury
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wound — an injury

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