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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: rush · bowl · racket · degree · cold · hide · calf · bound

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bound — certain
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bound — obliged
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bound — tied together
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. calf — of the leg

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