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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 120 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: degree · mine · key · object · bore · lash · current · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. current — electric
  3. drill — a practice
  4. degree — temperature
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. drill — army training
  7. current — happening now
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. object — an aim
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bore — to tire
  15. degree — an amount
  16. key — for a lock
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. key — in music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. current — of water

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