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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: chest · degree · arm · fork · bore · pass · suit · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bore — to drill
  3. degree — temperature
  4. pass — a permit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. chest — of your body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. chest — a box
  12. bore — to tire
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. degree — an amount
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. degree — from a university
  19. toast — bread
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. suit — in cards
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pass — to spend time

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