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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 120 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rash — a series
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. chest — a box
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. hand — help
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mine — for digging
  12. degree — an amount
  13. chest — of your body
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. degree — from a university
  23. hand — in cards
  24. ruler — a monarch

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