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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: degree · ball · calf · shower · stand · hide · deal · trunk

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ball — a dance
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — to wash
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stand — to bear
  15. degree — from a university
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. shower — rain
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ball — a great time

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