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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bore — to drill
  3. game — a match
  4. degree — temperature
  5. ground — a position
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — to tire
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. degree — an amount
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. degree — from a university
  21. ground — the earth
  22. snap — to click
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bay — a horse colour

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