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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. track — a song
  3. season — in sport
  4. track — a path
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. object — an aim
  11. degree — temperature
  12. object — a thing
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. saw — the tool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. bear — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. object — to protest
  21. bore — to tire
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. saw — the tool

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