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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: hide · trunk · tear · key · calf · can · pitch · degree

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pitch — completely
  3. can — a tin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. can — a tin
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. degree — an amount
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. can — to be able to
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. degree — temperature
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. tear — from crying
  20. degree — from a university
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — of the leg

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