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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. degree — temperature
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. prune — to trim
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — from a university
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. bore — to tire
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bore — to drill
  13. roll — a cake
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mate — to breed
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. roll — a list

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