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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 120 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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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: mate · drill · ball · bulb · degree · bore · fall · last

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fall — the season
  3. mate — to breed
  4. drill — a practice
  5. degree — temperature
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bore — to tire
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mate — a partner
  19. last — final
  20. drill — army training
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ball — a great time

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