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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: ruler · bore · mate · temple · roll · shower · pop · kid

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pop — music
  3. kid — child
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. shower — to wash
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pop — soda
  12. roll — a list
  13. bore — to drill
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pop — to visit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. temple — a place of worship

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