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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.

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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: content · racket · bore · degree · lean · lash · ruler · tear

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tear — from crying
  4. degree — from a university
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. degree — an amount
  8. content — happy
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. content — the amount
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lean — thin
  22. bore — to tire
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. content — videos and posts

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