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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 120 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: sharp · cue · bark · calf · bore · bay · rush · degree

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cue — for pool
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bore — to tire
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bark — to shout
  10. degree — from a university
  11. cue — a signal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. degree — temperature
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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