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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: ball · coach · bore · degree · mine · temple · bay · fall

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mine — for digging
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. fall — to drop
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. degree — from a university

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