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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bore — to tire
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. degree — an amount
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bulb — for light
  18. court — for sport
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bore — to drill
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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