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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: last · bore · degree · straw · bay · spell · row · mug

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. degree — from a university
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bore — to drill
  7. last — to go on
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bore — to tire
  10. spell — magic
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mug — a cup
  15. row — a line
  16. mug — to rob
  17. degree — temperature
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. spell — letters
  21. mug — a face
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. bore — gave birth

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