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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · degree · season · hide · bark · shower · bay · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. shower — rain
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. degree — temperature
  10. degree — an amount
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. degree — from a university
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bay — a horse colour

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