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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. last — finally
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. last — final
  9. degree — temperature
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ground — crushed
  12. tear — to rip
  13. last — to go on
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rest — a break
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ground — a position
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. tear — from crying

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