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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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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: spell · cabinet · chest · board · bore · nail · pop · degree

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chest — of your body
  4. degree — from a university
  5. pop — soda
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. board — to get on
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. board — a committee
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. spell — a short time
  20. chest — of your body
  21. degree — an amount
  22. chest — a box
  23. bore — to drill
  24. degree — temperature

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