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

Word bank: degree · rock · bay · object · mark · drill · tear · kick

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rock — a stone
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rock — music
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. kick — in football
  9. drill — army training
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mark — a trace
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. object — to protest
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. tear — from crying
  16. drill — a practice
  17. tear — to rip
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — an aim
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. drill — the tool
  24. tear — from crying

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