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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
468
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: hide · bulb · present · bark · saw · degree · calf · tube

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. present — a gift
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. degree — from a university
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — temperature
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. present — the time now

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