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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — an amount
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. degree — from a university
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bore — to tire
  23. sharp — clever
  24. stand — to bear

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