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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.

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: last · bore · straw · degree · spell · fork · race · leaves

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. last — to go on
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bore — to tire
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. last — final
  8. race — a contest
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. degree — temperature
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spell — magic
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fork — in a road
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. spell — letters
  19. race — the arms race
  20. last — finally
  21. degree — from a university
  22. race — humankind
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. spell — a short time

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