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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spell — a short time
  5. press — to push
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bound — obliged
  9. spell — letters
  10. bound — certain
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rock — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. press — newspapers
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bound — tied together
  20. date — the fruit
  21. spell — magic
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lie — an untruth

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