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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bound — certain
  4. bore — to drill
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cap — a hat
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fine — high quality
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bound — obliged
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wound — an injury
  24. degree — from a university

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