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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. squash — to crush
  3. tear — to rip
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. capital — a city
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. capital — money
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. squash — the sport
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. degree — from a university
  17. kick — in football
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. degree — an amount
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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