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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lean — to bend
  3. degree — an amount
  4. capital — a city
  5. lean — thin
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. sharp — clever
  12. degree — temperature
  13. row — a line
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. degree — from a university
  16. vault — a safe
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. capital — money
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. sharp — exactly

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