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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: ruler · lash · degree · bank · bore · sharp · stem · kid

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — to tire
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bank — for money
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. kid — to tease
  21. degree — from a university
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. sharp — clever
  24. kid — child

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