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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. net — in sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — a thing
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. net — for catching
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — from a university
  14. can — a tin
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fall — the season
  23. net — after costs
  24. bore — to tire

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