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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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. row — a line
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. shower — rain
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. degree — from a university
  10. rock — a stone
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. row — to paddle
  15. shower — to wash
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rock — music
  21. firm — decided
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rash — a series
  24. firm — a company

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