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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — from a university
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. lean — thin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lean — to bend
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bat — the animal
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. degree — an amount
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ruler — for measuring

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