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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pop — soda
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bore — to tire
  7. object — an aim
  8. march — the month
  9. object — to protest
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mate — a friend
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pop — music
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. march — music
  16. mark — a grade
  17. object — a thing
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bore — to drill
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mate — a partner
  23. march — the month
  24. lie — an untruth

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