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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 · roll · degree · fork · lie · snap · perch · mug

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. mug — a face
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. degree — from a university
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mug — to rob
  14. roll — a list
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. perch — the fish
  19. mug — a cup
  20. snap — to click
  21. degree — an amount
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bore — to drill

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