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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tube — a container
  4. key — in music
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. degree — an amount
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. squash — the sport
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mate — to breed
  17. tube — the underground
  18. degree — from a university
  19. key — for a lock
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. spell — magic
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spell — letters

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