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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. degree — temperature
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. degree — an amount
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bound — obliged
  9. kick — in football
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. squash — to crush
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bound — certain
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bound — tied together
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. degree — from a university
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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