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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: bore · rock · straw · tube · wound · kick · degree · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — from a university
  5. kick — in football
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. rock — music
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. tube — the underground
  13. branch — a division
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. rock — a stone

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