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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: track · rash · can · bore · temple · degree · kid · fall

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. degree — an amount
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. can — to be able to
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bore — to drill
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — temperature
  11. kid — child
  12. fall — the season
  13. degree — from a university
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. track — a song
  17. fall — to drop
  18. track — a path
  19. bore — to tire
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. kid — to tease

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