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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. degree — temperature
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. field — a subject
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. row — a line
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fall — the season
  14. row — to paddle
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fall — to drop
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. degree — from a university

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