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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 120 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: stick · leaves · bore · firm · degree · game · staff · snap

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. bore — to drill
  5. game — a match
  6. firm — decided
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. firm — a company
  11. staff — employees
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. degree — temperature
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bore — to tire
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. degree — an amount
  21. firm — steady
  22. game — wild animals
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. leaves — lets stay

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