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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: root · bore · last · calf · bass · dip · degree · stand

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. degree — temperature
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. bass — the fish
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. root — the cause
  12. bass — low music
  13. root — of a word
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. degree — an amount
  21. last — final
  22. dip — to sink
  23. degree — from a university
  24. calf — a young animal

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