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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: rest · pass · temple · degree · pop · sharp · bound · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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 — gave birth
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pop — music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rest — a break
  8. bore — to drill
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pop — to visit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rest — what's left
  16. degree — temperature
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bound — certain
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pop — soda
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bound — obliged
  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