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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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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: charge · degree · toast · bark · shower · rest · calf · nail

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. toast — bread
  4. degree — temperature
  5. charge — a price
  6. rest — a break
  7. charge — in control
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. charge — electricity
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bark — to shout
  16. shower — rain
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. degree — an amount
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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