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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: roll · hide · degree · bulb · clip · leaves · calf · bear

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. degree — an amount
  3. clip — to cut
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bear — the animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bear — the animal
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. clip — a video
  21. bulb — for light
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. roll — a cake

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