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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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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. plane — a tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bore — to tire
  5. degree — from a university
  6. sharp — clever
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. degree — temperature
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. lie — to recline
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. can — a tin
  19. degree — an amount
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. land — a country

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