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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
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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: key · lie · hide · wound · bark · row · firm · degree

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. firm — decided
  3. key — the most important part
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bark — to shout
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — in music
  16. degree — an amount
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. wound — an injury
  24. hide — animal skin

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