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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rash — hasty
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cap — a lid
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cap — a hat
  16. degree — temperature
  17. hand — help
  18. rash — a series
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cap — of ice
  23. hand — in cards
  24. leaves — lets stay

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