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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fine — all right
  3. bore — to drill
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mate — a partner
  8. degree — temperature
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. degree — an amount
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mouse — for a computer

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