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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · degree · bore · jam · hide · sharp · lash · object

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. degree — from a university
  3. object — a thing
  4. degree — an amount
  5. object — an aim
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bore — to tire
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. object — to protest
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bear — the animal
  16. degree — temperature
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. hide — animal skin

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