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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · degree · stick · fan · safe · bore · leaves · pop

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hand — in cards
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. degree — from a university
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pop — music
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. degree — an 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