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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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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 · bore · bulb · cabinet · kick · ruler · bear · cell

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bulb — for light
  8. degree — temperature
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cell — a phone
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kick — in football
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bulb — of a plant

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