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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: snap · calf · straw · degree · sharp · bore · roll · bound

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bound — obliged
  5. snap — to click
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. degree — an amount
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. degree — temperature
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. roll — a list
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bound — tied together
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bound — certain
  24. sharp — clever

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