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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lean — thin
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bound — certain
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. degree — from a university
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. degree — an amount
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. bound — tied together
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rash — hasty
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rash — a series
  23. mark — a grade
  24. key — in music

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