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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: stand · rest · temple · straw · suit · game · degree · drill

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. game — a match
  3. degree — temperature
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stand — to bear
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — an amount
  10. suit — to fit
  11. drill — army training
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rest — a break
  17. suit — in cards
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. game — wild animals
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. drill — a practice
  24. suit — clothes

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