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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: degree · leaves · bank · temple · roll · bore · shower · band

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bank — for money
  4. bore — to drill
  5. degree — temperature
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bank — for money
  9. band — a ring
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — from a university
  12. band — a music group
  13. bore — to tire
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. shower — rain
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. roll — a list
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bank — of a river
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. temple — side of the head

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