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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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Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ground — the earth
  7. degree — temperature
  8. degree — from a university
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. spell — magic
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. ground — a position
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bear — the animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. kick — in football
  19. track — a song
  20. ground — crushed
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bear — the animal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. safe — out of danger

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