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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stand — to bear
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. spell — letters
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. degree — from a university
  19. degree — temperature
  20. spell — magic
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lie — to recline
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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