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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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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. ground — the earth
  3. drill — army training
  4. bore — to drill
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. drill — a practice
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bore — to tire
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ground — crushed
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. ground — a position

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