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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mug — a face
  6. lie — to recline
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mug — a cup
  16. degree — from a university
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. file — a tool
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. degree — an amount
  24. foot — part of the body

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