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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. mug — to rob
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. degree — temperature
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. tear — from crying
  12. last — final
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rock — a stone
  15. degree — an amount
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. tear — to rip
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mug — a face
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — music
  24. tear — from crying

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