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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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. pound — a weight
  4. fork — in a road
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. net — for catching
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. kick — in football
  17. degree — an amount
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. snap — to click
  24. temple — side of the head

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