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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bore — to drill
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. present — a gift
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. date — the fruit
  17. present — the time now
  18. bore — to tire
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. deal — to handle
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. shower — to wash
  23. present — there
  24. degree — an amount

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