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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rule — government
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — from a university
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — to shout
  20. tear — to rip
  21. snap — to click
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tear — from crying

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