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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. degree — from a university
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. foot — a measure
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. degree — an amount
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. degree — temperature

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