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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.

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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: stand · bore · nail · leaves · degree · bear · stick · rule

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rule — government
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rule — a law
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stand — to bear
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bore — to drill
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bear — the animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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