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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. degree — an amount
  5. lean — to bend
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. plane — a tool
  8. degree — temperature
  9. fine — all right
  10. capital — a city
  11. degree — from a university
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lean — thin
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bore — to drill
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. fine — high quality
  24. plane — an aircraft

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