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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. track — to keep track
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. track — a song
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. sharp — clever
  16. track — a path
  17. degree — an amount
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stand — to bear
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. degree — temperature
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. snap — to click

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