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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. degree — from a university
  3. file — a tool
  4. can — to be able to
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. degree — temperature
  8. file — a document
  9. drill — a practice
  10. degree — an amount
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — in control
  17. bore — to drill
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. can — a tin
  21. file — a line of people
  22. can — a tin
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ruler — for measuring

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