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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.

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: hide · degree · mate · drill · fork · fine · mug · date

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mug — a face
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mate — a partner
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mug — a cup
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. date — the fruit
  12. degree — temperature
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. drill — army training
  16. fine — all right
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mate — to breed
  20. degree — from a university
  21. drill — a practice
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mug — to rob

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