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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. degree — temperature
  3. face — to confront
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. face — to point toward
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. face — part of the head
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. degree — from a university
  16. foot — a measure
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cell — a phone
  22. field — farmland
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. foot — the bottom

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