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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: degree · board · bore · arm · pass · hide · mate · snap

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. degree — from a university
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. degree — an amount
  6. mate — a partner
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bore — to tire
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. snap — to click
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pass — a permit
  20. degree — temperature
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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