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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bore — to tire
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bore — to drill
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stock — shares
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tear — from crying
  12. face — to confront
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tear — to rip
  15. chip — to eat
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chip — for betting
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. suit — in cards
  21. stock — goods
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wax — to grow

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