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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: can · hide · lean · swing · degree · bark · present · pit

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. swing — music
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. degree — temperature
  8. present — there
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pit — in a race
  15. can — a tin
  16. lean — thin
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. swing — in golf
  19. present — the time now
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. present — a gift
  22. degree — from a university
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lean — to rest against

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