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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. face — to confront
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. degree — from a university
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. suit — in cards
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bore — to tire
  19. vault — a safe
  20. tear — from crying
  21. foot — a measure
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. face — part of the head
  24. degree — temperature

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