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

Word bank: bear · fork · mouse · degree · rule · hide · calf · lash

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rule — government
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. degree — from a university
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fork — in a road
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rule — a law
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lash — to lash out

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