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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mate — a friend
  3. march — the month
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. march — music
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mug — a cup
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mug — a face
  17. bulb — for light
  18. march — the month
  19. degree — from a university
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bulb — for light
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bore — to tire
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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