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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. suit — to fit
  9. degree — temperature
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. degree — an amount
  12. staff — employees
  13. scale — size or range
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. staff — employees
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bore — to drill
  21. degree — from a university
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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