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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: drill · temple · rash · bat · degree · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bat — the animal
  3. degree — an amount
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. degree — from a university
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — army training
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. degree — temperature
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — a series
  18. drill — a practice

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