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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mark — a grade
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ground — crushed
  6. kick — in football
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. last — finally
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. degree — an amount
  13. tube — a container
  14. degree — temperature
  15. last — final
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. last — to go on
  18. craft — a skill
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. craft — boats
  23. mark — a trace
  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