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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cell — a phone
  7. file — a line of people
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. file — a tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. degree — an amount
  13. file — a document
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bound — certain
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cell — in biology
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. shower — rain
  24. degree — from a university

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