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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: lean · bay · bulb · bore · file · scale · cabinet · degree

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. degree — an amount
  3. degree — from a university
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bore — to tire
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lean — thin
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. scale — in music
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. file — a tool
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bay — a horse colour

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