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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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. degree — from a university
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rule — government
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bat — the animal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. foot — a measure
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rule — a law
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. degree — temperature
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bat — for baseball

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