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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: craft · spring · degree · mate · ruler · bulb · bore · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mate — a friend
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mate — to breed
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rock — music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — boats
  10. spring — of water
  11. degree — temperature
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bore — to drill
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mate — a partner
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — the season
  24. bulb — of a plant

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