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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: bore · board · root · stick · deal · degree · drill · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bore — to tire
  3. degree — from a university
  4. drill — the tool
  5. root — the cause
  6. drill — army training
  7. degree — temperature
  8. board — to get on
  9. face — to confront
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. deal — to handle
  19. face — part of the head
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. root — of a word
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. degree — an amount

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