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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: track · calf · degree · nail · bark · rush · band · snap

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. track — to keep track
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — hurry
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. track — a song
  9. bark — to shout
  10. band — a music group
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. band — a ring
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. track — a path
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. nail — on a finger

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