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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: bore · spell · wind · pop · bank · kick · degree · perch

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — the fish
  4. degree — an amount
  5. spell — a short time
  6. degree — temperature
  7. pop — soda
  8. spell — letters
  9. bore — to tire
  10. kick — in football
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bank — of a river
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wind — moving air
  19. spell — magic
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bank — for money

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