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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.

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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: lash · bore · mouse · degree · drill · spell · court · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — to tire
  3. drill — army training
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. drill — the tool
  9. degree — an amount
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spell — magic
  12. degree — temperature
  13. can — a tin
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. court — for sport

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