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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mark — a trace
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bore — to tire
  6. charge — a price
  7. clip — a video
  8. degree — an amount
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mark — a grade
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. clip — to cut
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bore — to drill
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. charge — in control
  24. degree — from a university

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