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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bound — tied together
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mug — a cup
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bark — to shout
  15. land — a country
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. degree — an amount
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. bound — obliged
  22. degree — from a university
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bound — certain

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