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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: net · bound · hide · rest · roll · drill · present · degree

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. roll — a list
  3. degree — temperature
  4. rest — what's left
  5. net — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — certain
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. present — a gift
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. present — there
  15. drill — army training
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. drill — a practice
  19. roll — a cake
  20. net — for catching
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. present — the time now
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. net — after costs

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