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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: tube · degree · fine · bore · press · arm · calf · net

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fine — all right
  6. tube — the underground
  7. degree — an amount
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. net — for catching
  15. bore — to drill
  16. press — to push
  17. fine — high quality
  18. degree — temperature
  19. tube — a container
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. net — after costs
  23. degree — from a university
  24. fine — a penalty

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