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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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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. row — a line
  3. rule — government
  4. object — to protest
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. degree — from a university
  7. degree — temperature
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to click
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bear — the animal
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — an aim
  15. degree — an amount
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bear — the animal

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