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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. bank — of a river
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bank — for money
  9. spring — of water
  10. kick — in football
  11. degree — temperature
  12. spring — the season
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. spring — a coil
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. degree — an amount
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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