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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bass — low music
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. degree — temperature
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. degree — an amount
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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