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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bound — tied together
  14. drill — army training
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ruler — for measuring

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