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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 116 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.

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: straw · patient · degree · rock · stick · bulb · bore · sharp

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rock — a stone
  11. degree — an amount
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bore — to drill
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bulb — for light
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. degree — temperature
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rock — music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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