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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bark — to shout
  3. charge — a price
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. charge — in control
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mark — a trace
  16. degree — temperature
  17. shower — to wash
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. charge — electricity

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