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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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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: bore · lie · straw · rest · wound · root · degree · race

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — the cause
  5. degree — temperature
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. race — humankind
  8. rest — what's left
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rest — a break
  12. root — of a plant
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bore — to tire
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lie — to recline
  17. root — of a word
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. race — a contest
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rest — what's left
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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