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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. hand — help
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cap — a hat
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. club — a group
  11. degree — an amount
  12. club — for dancing
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. hand — in cards
  17. plane — a tool
  18. club — for golf
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. degree — temperature
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. degree — from a university
  24. foot — the bottom

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