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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: leaves · coach · degree · net · lie · stick · roll · bore

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lie — to recline
  5. degree — temperature
  6. roll — a cake
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. net — for catching
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — after costs
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. degree — from a university
  21. bore — to tire
  22. degree — an amount
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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