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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: wave · calf · bore · race · wax · rush · degree · temple

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. race — humankind
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. race — a contest
  8. bore — to drill
  9. degree — from a university
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rush — hurry
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bore — to tire
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. degree — an amount
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rush — to hurry

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