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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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. wind — moving air
  4. pop — soda
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bat — the animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — after costs
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pop — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. net — in sport
  24. lash — an eyelash

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