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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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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: mark · bore · degree · pop · mate · wind · bear · leaves

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pop — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mark — a grade
  9. pop — to visit
  10. degree — temperature
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mate — a partner
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wind — moving air
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pop — soda

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