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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. degree — an amount
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. mate — a partner
  7. current — electric
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mate — to breed
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pass — a permit
  13. degree — from a university
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. current — happening now
  16. mate — a friend
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. current — of water
  22. staff — employees
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. degree — temperature

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