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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.

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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: rash · race · saw · wax · degree · bore · bank · game

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. degree — from a university
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — to tire
  5. race — humankind
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bore — to drill
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rash — hasty
  15. game — wild animals
  16. rash — a series
  17. game — a match
  18. race — a contest
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bank — for money
  21. wax — to grow
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. race — the arms race

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