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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. drill — army training
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. degree — temperature
  5. fine — high quality
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fine — all right
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bore — to drill
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. drill — the tool
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bore — to tire

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