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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bore — to drill
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. drill — army training
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rest — a break
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. drill — the tool
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. drill — a practice
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. degree — an amount
  21. dip — to sink
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wake — a trail

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