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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. last — finally
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. degree — temperature
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. degree — from a university
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. key — in music
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — final
  22. key — the most important part
  23. last — to go on
  24. key — for a lock

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