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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
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: ruler · saw · suit · fall · bark · season · bore · degree

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bore — to tire
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. degree — from a university
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bark — to shout
  16. season — in sport
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. degree — temperature
  20. season — of the year
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fall — to drop

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