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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. hand — in cards
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rash — a series
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stock — goods
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — shares
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rash — hasty
  14. degree — an amount
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — a break
  17. degree — from a university
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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