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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bore — to tire
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pit — in a race
  7. degree — an amount
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bore — to drill
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. press — to push
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. press — a publisher
  23. degree — temperature
  24. coach — a trainer

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