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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
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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: bore · bay · spell · roll · arm · mine · toast · degree

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. toast — bread
  4. roll — a list
  5. spell — letters
  6. degree — from a university
  7. bore — to tire
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bore — to drill
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. spell — magic
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. degree — temperature

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