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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a cake
  3. press — to push
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bore — to drill
  6. object — to protest
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. degree — from a university
  10. roll — a list
  11. object — a thing
  12. degree — an amount
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wax — to grow
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bore — to tire
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. object — an aim
  24. tube — in a tire

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