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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: stand · snap · pound · degree · rest · bulb · bore · mate

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. degree — an amount
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rest — what's left
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rest — a break
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. degree — from a university
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. snap — to click
  24. mate — to breed

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