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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 120 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: content · file · temple · degree · pass · row · bore · arm

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. file — a line of people
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. content — the amount
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. row — to paddle
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bore — to drill
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. row — a line
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. content — happy
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  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