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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: degree · firm · stem · bore · saw · rush · tube · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. firm — a company
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bore — to tire
  14. firm — steady
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. game — wild animals
  20. tube — the underground
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. firm — decided
  24. tube — a container

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