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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. key — for a lock
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mine — for digging
  10. degree — from a university
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. degree — an amount
  14. key — in music
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. degree — temperature
  23. key — the most important part
  24. sharp — clever

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