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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. root — of a word
  6. charge — in control
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. charge — a price
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. root — of a plant
  12. degree — an amount
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. root — the cause
  19. lie — to recline
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wake — a trail
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. degree — from a university

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