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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. degree — an amount
  3. shower — rain
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. degree — temperature
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mark — a grade
  11. degree — from a university
  12. board — a committee
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mine — for digging
  19. board — to get on
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mug — to rob
  22. saw — the tool
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ruler — a monarch

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