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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: trunk · bound · rock · kid · drill · degree · vault · bear

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. drill — army training
  3. rock — music
  4. bound — certain
  5. degree — temperature
  6. drill — the tool
  7. kid — child
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. vault — a safe
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bear — the animal
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bound — tied together
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bound — obliged
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. degree — an amount

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