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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: bore · temple · straw · track · suit · degree · roll · hand

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. hand — help
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. hand — in cards
  8. degree — from a university
  9. track — a song
  10. roll — a cake
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bore — to tire
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — a path
  15. suit — to fit
  16. roll — a list
  17. degree — an amount
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. degree — temperature
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. track — to keep track
  24. temple — a place of worship

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