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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. degree — temperature
  3. can — to be able to
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. can — a tin
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. degree — an amount
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. can — a tin
  20. plane — a tool
  21. content — happy
  22. rush — hurry
  23. season — of the year
  24. content — the 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