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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bore — to drill
  3. degree — an amount
  4. present — there
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. present — a gift
  7. clip — a video
  8. bore — to tire
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. clip — for paper
  12. present — the time now
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. firm — steady
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. degree — from a university
  18. firm — decided
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stem — to come from
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bore — gave birth

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