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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ground — a position
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. capital — a city
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. degree — temperature
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bore — to tire
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. march — the month
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — music
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. march — the month
  24. capital — money

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