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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mark — a grade
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fine — all right
  9. degree — from a university
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hand — help
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mark — a trace
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. deal — an agreement

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