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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. suit — in cards
  3. march — music
  4. drill — army training
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. march — the month
  8. degree — temperature
  9. march — the month
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bore — to drill
  15. degree — an amount
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bore — to tire
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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