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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. leaves — of a tree

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