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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: bear · nail · calf · shower · degree · cabinet · mark · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mark — a grade
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — rain
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. degree — an amount
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. shower — to wash
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. degree — temperature
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cabinet — ministers

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