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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · date · bay · temple · kick · calf · deal · degree

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. degree — temperature
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. kick — in football
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. date — the fruit
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. degree — an amount
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. degree — from a university

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