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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. degree — temperature
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — to drill
  5. object — an aim
  6. rush — hurry
  7. degree — from a university
  8. march — music
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wound — an injury
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. march — the month
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. march — the month
  24. rush — to hurry

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