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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. tear — to rip
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. degree — from a university
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. tear — from crying
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. degree — an amount
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. leaves — lets stay

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