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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 · roll · bore · stick · safe · sharp · game · degree

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. roll — a list
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. degree — from a university
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. game — wild animals
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bore — to tire
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. craft — a skill
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. roll — a cake
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. craft — boats
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. roll — on a roll

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