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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 124 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mug — a face
  6. clip — a video
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bound — obliged
  9. degree — temperature
  10. clip — to cut
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bound — certain
  13. degree — an amount
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rush — hurry
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mug — a cup
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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