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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: nail · trunk · key · bore · calf · degree · bat · saw

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bat — the animal
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bore — to drill
  8. key — the most important part
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. degree — from a university
  21. key — in music
  22. saw — the tool
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — for a lock

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