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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pass — a permit
  5. content — the amount
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. degree — temperature
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — child
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. content — happy
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. degree — from a university
  18. fall — to drop
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. kid — to tease

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