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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bear — the animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mate — a friend
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mate — to breed
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mate — a partner
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. date — the fruit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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