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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — tied together
  5. firm — decided
  6. degree — an amount
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. degree — from a university
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lean — thin
  11. firm — steady
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. firm — a company
  14. bound — certain
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. sharp — clever
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cap — a lid
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — a hat

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